Samantha Ide recalls that she unlocked another level of potential within the game of tennis, thanks to a strong support net of family, friends, and coaches–something she certainly showcased after jumping up to another level as a junior this spring.

The Nighthawks’ girls’ tennis team junior captain and one half of the No. 1 doubles team first came onto a court at the age of 5 but she admits she did not get serious about it until around the age of 10. Following a slot at No. 2 doubles a year ago, Samantha had her number called up to be part of the top tandem this spring with classmate Chandler Morris to aid North Haven to a 9-8 regular season record and SCC and Class L State Tournament berths.

“The people I played tennis with, plus my dad really encouraged me. I love tennis because it is a great way to have fun while you are playing a sport competitively,” says Samantha. “My partner has really helped me; she motivated me, especially on days where I was off. We had a lot of success together, and also [Head Coach Bob Migliorini] empowered me to go forward and have the success that I did.”

As she increased her quality of service this spring, Samantha details her skills at compartmentalizing things when it comes to the delicate balance of being a student-athlete and maintaining reports and racquets.

“This year, I feel I got better at timing myself out and prioritizing things when it comes to tennis and school,” says Samantha. “My serving has gotten so much better. I had a shoulder injury this year, but I pushed through it and kept my serve strong. Last year, I could barely hit the ball, but this year, I could ace people.”

Migliorini has certainly noticed the progress in Samantha’s power game and overall serve. He additionally praises her abilities as a fine young leader away from the courts in garnering respect amongst her older peers.

“Samantha has been a great leader and organizer, who is very respected by all of the girls, including the seniors,” says Migliorini. “She has been a key piece in our doubles lineup. Sam and Chandler are a strong team. They play a power game; they hit the ball hard with a strong net game.”

Samantha notes that she did have some trepidation with the rest of her squad’s reception receiving the captain’s nod early, though she took the reins and ran with them by helping to pilot the future stars of the club by getting them properly acclimated.

“Being a junior captain was difficult, because you can have some people think you aren’t serious as a leader, but I felt I stepped up,” says Samantha. “It was empowering to help out teammates, and we definitely had a positive environment and welcomed the freshmen here. I had an idea to hold freshman practices to help them get used to things and know what they have to do.”

Of course most tennis matches are never 6-0, 6-0 decisions with not a single point lost, so Samantha looks inward when the chips may be down and wills herself to win and be resilient by rebounding swiftly and soundly.

“I think about how I have to do this, even if you lose a point,” Samantha says. “If I get down on myself after a point, I just stand back and tell myself that I can do it. I motivate myself and my coach also motivates me when we change sides on the court after a set.”

Samantha and North Haven faced several SCC upstarts this spring with squads that moved up from pushovers to prideful opponents that gave the Nighthawks all they could handle–bolstering their own team’s resolve in the process.

“We had a really good season this year, and we took it one match at a time,” says Samantha. “We faced teams this year like Sacred Heart Academy and Lauralton Hall, where we beat them easily last year, but they were harder this season. We were regaining our strength as a team this year after losing the seniors from the year before. We pulled through in those matches when we had to, and it showed us to not take anything for granted. We also made sure to never give up when we faced the harder teams like Amity and go out there and have fun.”

Samantha is one member of a deep junior class that is ready to raise their game to the next level as seniors in 2024 while simultaneously being a close-knit bunch off the court. There will be inevitable sadness when the senior season comes to an end, but she is determined to make the most of it beforehand.

“I have gotten to know all my close friends through this team; they are like a family to me. We hang out and do everything together,” says Samantha. “Yet it will be hard after next year as seniors with having to go our separate ways after always being together. We are on the courts more than our own homes a lot of the time, and we all love each other.”