09:58 PM EDT on Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Frank the moderator: Wel have Journal sportwriter Carolyn Thornton with Meghan McCooey, Nicole Breting, Michaela Cerrone and Danielle Falvo, members of the Mount St. Charles girls tennis team, stopping by to answer questions and comments about competing on the high school level.

shanay37: Could you explain your motto and how the girls grow together as a team?

Nicole: I'll take this one. Well, our motto is "We believe in a thing called love." We come up with a theme every year. It's usually from a song.
Danielle: Last year was "Hit us with your best shot." Sophomore year was "Can't touch this." And freshman year was "Go big or go home."
Michaela: As for this year's motto, as most of you probably know, love is zero in tennis and there are eight seniors, so we've formed a bond over the past four years.
Meghan: It kind of brings the whole team together, though. Not just the seniors.

boston: So what has been your greatest barrier that you have had to overcome at the high school level?

Meghan: That's a good question. Because we've had such a strong team for so many years, there's a lot of pressure to keep meeting up to the expectations.
Nicole: Our coach expects a lot of us. Michaela: And our families. All: And the school. And our teachers.
Michaela: Staying undefeated is always in the back of our minds. I think coming back last year having lost in the finals sophomore year was probably the most stressful experience, just knowing that people expected us to win. Danielle: And it's hard to get the girls to not take things for granted. We have to make sure that we all stay focused every match and not get ahead of ourselves.

tennisnovice: Hi girls, wondering: How much have you been influenced by such high-profile, and young, players as the Williams sisters and Anna Kournikova? Do you think they help make playing tennis for females, well, more glamorous?

Meghan: It's actually more exciting to watch the men because I think they have more interesting points.
Michaela: They have well thought-out points, and they're not afraid to attack the net either. And women's tennis has become so much about fashion.
Danielle: I mean, we like to good in our new uniforms every year, but our concern is about the game, not fashion.

Carolyn Thornton: So how do you guys handle the pressure and all of the high expectations that have been placed upon you?

Danielle: We try not to think about it.
Meghan: I think it pushes us to work extra hard in practice and have a goal to strive for.
Michaela: We don't concentrate on the past. I think we are too focused on our playing, one point at a time, that it's not on our mind.

backhand: Who is your toughest competitor

Nicole: We consider whoever is on the other side of the net that day to be our toughest competitor because if we look past anyone, we can be beaten.

Estabon: What is a major factor that contributes to the team's success?

Michaela: I think the biggest factor is that we're really close, almost like a family. And I think we grow to understand each other.
Danielle: Even though we have to play each other in ladder matches, it doesn't affect us on or off the court. Although it may seem like it's a very individual sport because as a singles player, you're out there by yourself on the court, the whole team is behind you and you're trying to win your match for the team.
Meghan: It's all about the team.

Carolyn Thornton: How much do you all work on your games in the off season and how important do you think that has been to your team's success?

Meghan: I think most of the girls on the team play a lot during the offseason because we have so many talented girls on the team, we all feel like we need to be constantly working on our game in order to stay competitive with each other.
Danielle: We have a lot of depth on our team because we all work on our games year-round. And that depth has definitely contributed to our success against our opponents.

backhand: In addition to playing for MSC, do you take lessons

All: Yes, we all take lessons during the offseason.
Michaela: And we all play a lot of USTA tournaments around New England.
Danielle: You really need to play a lot of matches to prepare properly for the season.

curlsup: Do you ever find it difficult or demanding to be a captain, a teammate, and a friend simultaneously?

Meghan: Our coach definitely places a lot of responsibility on our shoulders as the captains.
Michaela: He hands the team over to us and it's our responsibility to handle all the ups and downs that the team goes through during the season.
Danielle: And it's really difficult to be in the position of a captain with so many other seniors on the team, especially since we're all friends.
Meghan: Sometimes we're obligated to talk to our teammates as captains about things that we might not normally be comfortable talking to them about as their friends.
Nicole: So, yeah, with all of that responsibility, it is sometimes difficult to find the time that we'd like to spend with our friends off the court.
Michaela: But our friends realize what a big time commitment the team is and how much it means to all of us. So they're really understanding about it.

backhand: What are your tennis plans for next year?

Meghan: Well, I would definitely like to play in college and continue my tennis career. But I'm not sure where yet.
Danielle: I'm not looking at colleges to play tennis. If I can play, then I will, but it's not my primary focus.
Nicole: I'm not sure where I'm going yet, but if I could play in college, it would be an added bonus. I want to play tennis, but I don't want it to own me in college. At some Division I schools, you're a tennis player before you're a student.
Michaela: I'm looking to play in college also, but I do want the balance between academics and athletics. I don't want either to take over my life.
Meghan: Yes, there definitely needs to be a balance. And I think our tennis experience at Mount has prepared us well for college and taught us how to balance school and tennis.

Carolyn Thornton: What advice would you give to parents who have young children interested in playing tennis? What is the best way to get started?

Nicole: Just get them involved in lessons. But you should try to find someone who is experienced and knowledgeable about the game because you don't want them to be taught the wrong techniques and strokes.
Meghan: And I think you also have to let your kids decide if they love it. You don't want to push them into playing too much at a young age because they might grow to dislike the game.
Michaela: I think it's important to keep your children involved in sports no matter which one they choose. I think tennis is a great sport because it's something you can play for a lifetime. A great way to get started in tennis is a youth tennis camp. I first began playing tennis when I was 5 in a summer recreation program in Glocester with Mr. Lawrence. It's what made me love tennis because it was so fun.

Carolyn Thornton: You've mentioned your tennis coach (Richard Lawrence) a number of times. What has it been like playing for him for four years and what is it about his coaching style that brings out the best in you as players?

All: I think that he plays a huge role in all of our lives, on and off the court. He's really an inspiration and he cares about each one of us. He's taught us many life lessons, things I know we'll use beyond high school - and not just on the tennis court. We've established a trust with him and he tells us all the time that his door is always open. He's very demanding of us and pushes us every day, but in the end it makes us stronger and better tennis players and people. And he always reminds us that nothing is impossible if we set our heart and mind to it.

Carolyn Thornton: Well, it looks like our time is up. Thank you all for stopping by to chat with us and share some of your tennis experiences. It sounds like your team has created something very special at Mount, both on and off the court. Best of luck to all of you.