By Arjun Khanna ‘23, Sports Writer

The Newark Academy boys’ tennis team is back, and they are looking stronger than ever. In past years, the Minutemen have consistently ranked as one of the top boys’ tennis programs in the state, producing multiple Division 1 college athletes. In fact, the boys’ varsity team was recently named the third best tennis program in the nation by the Universal Tennis Ranking Organization. 

Although the COVID-19 pandemic caused last season’s competition to be canceled, this didn’t hinder the Minutemen tennis athletes in their training, as many of them continued to practice rigorously in preparation for national and state-level tournaments. For instance, Newark Academy’s own Nick Kotzen ‘22 recently qualified for and reached the quarterfinals of the Easter Bowl, the elite national event that has often been referred to as “The Super Bowl of junior tennis.” As a whole, the NA men’s tennis team has won the last nine Non-Public B titles and its group tennis tournament crown every year from 1992-2007, owning a state-leading 26 titles all-time. 

The boys’ tennis team is loaded with young talent this season, with multiple new players who also compete on a national stage. For instance, freshmen Andrew Kotzen ‘24 and Joshua Mandelbaum ‘24 were both recently placed in the Lotto Hot 100 College Tennis Recruiting rankings. This year the team named three captains, Sam Goidel ‘21, Saif Prabhu ‘22, and Kris Sethi ‘21, who have the responsibility of managing this immense talent and working with the student-athletes to lead the Minutemen to their maximum potential. Aside from talent, a key part of the team’s success can be attributed to how the players collaborate with each other, both on and off the court. Although tennis can feel like an individual sport at times, communication and understanding among team members is vital. Speaking on this team chemistry and his hopes for this upcoming season, team captain Saif Prabhu ’22 said, “I think we have a lot of talented kids on our team and we are all super supportive of one another, even though tennis is an individual sport. The team mantra is ‘We>Me’ and all of us try to take that to heart. Hopefully if all goes well, we will host the Tournament of Champions trophy mid June.” 

As Newark Academy’s boys’ tennis begins yet another season, there is a sense of renewal and pride in the team for its ability to fight and adapt to challenging circumstances. In the words of boys’ tennis team coach, Mr. Scerra, “Newark Academy Tennis gives all of us the chance to be a part of something bigger than ourselves; it gives us the opportunity to play a sport we love and join the many talented players who have coalesced to show that ‘We>Me.’ That message and mindset seems particularly apt for this year. ” In the coming months, the team will participate in multiple competitive tournaments, including, but not limited to, the New Jersey Interscholastic athletic competition, the Tournament of Champions, and the Bryan Bennett Memorial Tournament. The team mantra stressed by coaches and players alike has embodied the mindset of the team this year. This phrase not only applies to the health and safety precautions that the team is following in order to be able to compete, but also extends to the values of teamwork that the players share.