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05/21/2024 11:20 AMIn order to climb the ladder in the sport of tennis, one must possess a cool head during the pressure-packed moments under the warm spring sun. For Ella Helfrich, the composure has helped her not only collect victories but also assume a new solo role without skipping a beat.
The Hand junior started tennis at the young age of 4 and played sporadically through junior high, when she also took on basketball and soccer. Yet over her high school career, she dropped off from those two sports to focus more on the tennis court.
Starting at No. 3 singles as a freshman, Ella then moved to doubles action for her sophomore season. Yet this campaign, after needing to fill a void in the Tigers’ lineup, Ella made the move to the second singles slot and has helped reigning Class M title holder Hand finish off a regular season with an 8-6 record.
“My freshman year, the team and how close-knit it was made me fall in love with tennis and made me want to keep pursuing it,” says Ella. “Tennis is all about your mental state and being cool, calm, and collected. It is only one point, and I can move past it. I just have to stay composed.”
Speaking more to the war waged on her mind during matches, Ella recollects that she was simply competing to get through the court clash rather than trying to prevail. She also has discovered it is all about being present, and the more paramount point is the one being contested that instant.
“My freshman year, I basically played not to lose and would not make crazy shots which hurt my matches,” Ella says. “Having a partner my sophomore year, it made me realize you have to play to win in order to be successful. I also learned to not get lost in the prior point and tell myself to just stay in the moment of each point.”
While staying in tune with her partner as a doubles competitor, Ella also utilized certain facets of her overall game from being a duet to recording some jams on the singles side of things. She has begun to utilize the center of the action to keep her opponent guessing and off-balance.
“Doubles was so much fun, and the strategy with doubles is different because it is more about the net game. It is also important to have good communication with your partner,” Ella says. “In singles, the points take much longer, and I have used my doubles game and come to the net more to help. If the team knowing that me playing No. 2 singles was what was best for it, then that was the moment I knew I would be okay at singles. In our first big match against Cheshire, I won a tough set by a 7-5 score. It was then that I saw I have the skills to be successful for singles.”
Ella knows that her short range game with her racquet is a rousing asset to herself and the Tigers between the baselines. Yet as she moves forward as a solo artist, Ella wants to add more of a powerful component to her repertoire.
“I played a full year of doubles last year, and so keeping that net game in singles has been good for me, and I have gotten better with my volley skills,” Ella says. “I want to work more on my serve and even my second serve. I want to get it up to a better level with more practice.”
Hand Head Coach John Gage explains that Ella showcased her selflessness for her squad when she made the singles switch. Not only has Ella dove foot first into being a solo act, but she has done it with a tenacity, toughness, and determination well beyond her years.
“Ella is the consummate team player. An excellent doubles player, she feels more at home playing with a partner but knew we needed a strong player at No. 2 singles and volunteered to take on that spot,” says Gage. “She has excelled all season, and even in the matches she's lost, she never gave up and has come very close to beating some very tough opponents. Her recent match against Anja Josef at Cheshire is a perfect example. Fighting through heat as well as a sinus infection, she took Anja to tiebreaks in both sets, just falling short at 6-7, 6-7. Not a lot of players her age display that kind of grit and resilience, and Ella does it in every match. She plays with humility and grace and is one of the most coachable players I've ever worked with.”
Hand will now ready themselves for the postseason and what the Tigers hope will be a successful title defense in the Class M division. Ella and the girls have been feeling the heat since the season’s opening serve, and so they are more than game to take on any and all challengers to their throne as queens of the court.
“After last year and winning the title, we want to run it back,” says Ella. “After losing three key seniors from our lineup last year, we have been working hard in practice every day. We know we have a target on our back and a lot of pressure after winning last year, but we are ready for the postseason.”