End of May

I know, I know, I know: it’s only mid-to-late April. The “End of May” isn’t for another whole month. But please, let me explain…

Nick Lebedoff, who co-captained last year’s team along with his fellow senior/stallion/stud Jeremy Weinberger, always used to sign his e-mails to the team “End of May” — because, obviously, that’s crunch-time. It is, in other words, that series of moments and opportunities that we work toward all season. Our goal is to get tougher and tougher over the course of the year, so that by the time the national tournament rolls around at the “End of May,” we’re ready to go — details taken care of, sloppiness eliminated, and minds, bodies, and spirits prepared.

Since we returned from California a couple of weeks ago, we have resumed our journey to the “End of May” with renewed vigor. Captain/Coach Nick (see above) has rejoined the team as our Assistant Coach, leaving his beloved Minneapolis to come duke it out with us on the practice and match courts this spring. Captain/Uncle Jer (see above) has also graced us with his presence, though he unfortunately cannot stay on full-time. It’s been great to have these two around (so wise, so energetic, so purple) as the “End of May” draws nearer — or more accurately, as we beat down the metaphorical door of the “End of May.”

We’ve gone 4-1 in the last two weeks, the only blemish on our record a gut-wrenching 5-4 loss to Amherst. We were up 2-1 after doubles, and we had numerous chances to close out the match in singles, but we fell just short. It was a tough loss to swallow to be sure, but we’ve done a great job of converting any lingering disappointment into fuel for our fire. We have a big weekend coming up — Bowdoin at home at 10:00 am on Saturday; Middlebury away at 1:00 pm on Sunday — and we’re looking forward to another great chance to prove to everyone, including ourselves, just how good we really are. The best part, of course, is that we’re still getting better. And we still have a month until you-know-when.

Thank you for reading — hopefully we’ll see you at one of our matches soon. Wish us luck the rest of the spring!

 

End of May,

Will