New coach hopes to build a title contender

With a new coach at the helm this year for the girls tennis team, unique expectations and goals will be placed on  the players. After working as an assistant coach under Robert Foshee for HS boys tennis, Daniel “Bulldog” Jessing looks to take that experience and implement it into the girls team.

“I’m really excited about this season of girls tennis,” Jessing said. “There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this team right now and that’s a big part of why I wanted to be involved. We have almost triple the amount of girls playing this year compared to the last couple of years so it’s exciting to see new faces out on the courts. My biggest goal is to make sure that everyone learns to play correctly and love it at the same time. That way the team can enjoy some long term success and get back to winning championships.”

Adjusting to a new coach may present difficulties for some players but Jessing’s situation is different. He is an active leader at Peoples Church and is the Fresno Christian safety and security man on campus.

The players are eager to start the season in the West Sequoia League. Returning member of the team and junior Alina Davila is prepped and excited to start matches.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things about Bulldog,” Davila said. “I can’t wait to get the season started so he can help sharpen my skills. I’m going to make sure that I use what I’ve learned from last year and whatever coach Daniel teaches this year. This years team is so big compared to last year team so I’m excited to make memories with my teammates.”

Going winless last season, Jessing wants to improve on that record by building a winning foundation for years to come. He hopes to bring his experience from the boys tennis team and take this program back to it’s glory days.

“I know what it is like to compete for league and valley championships,” Jessing said. “I was a player in high school and a coach with the FC boys, who won league last year(2016), and that’s the kind of success I see this team having in the future. When you go to the FC gym and you look up to the banner for girls tennis, you can see a long history of winning. We want to get back to a winning tradition like that. It may not happen right away but that is the goal for us.”

The lady Eagles will be playing the Fowler Redcats in their home opener, Aug. 31. Come out and support your girls tennis team.

For more articles, read Girls tennis dives into new season, competition.

This writer can be reached via Twitter @sukyboiii and email: Suky Cheema.