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05/24/2024 02:59 AMIt was evident for quite some time that the baseline was in Tomas Dahl’s bloodline. His heart and passion for the court came coursing throughout the Valley Regional campus as he emerged as a crucial component of the Warriors’ development.
The Valley Regional boys’ tennis senior captain and singles player essentially grew up with a racquet in his hand—starting tennis at age 3 and around an entire family that both played and coached on the court.
After taking on the No. 2 singles spot last spring as both a freshman and sophomore, Tomas eventually worked his way up into not only a leadership role as a co-captain for the Warriors, but also as a leader at the net by being the No. 1 singles competitor for Valley in both the 2023 and 2024 slates. He posted a 6-5 record in Shoreline Conference matches in 2024.
“Tennis was the first sport I was ever introduced to, and my family being part of tennis and my experience was a big influence on me; my upbringing revolved around it. I also love how tennis is such an individual sport, and you have no one to rely on but yourself,” says Tomas. “A big part of my growth in the game has been becoming obsessed with it. To grow in anything in life, I feel you have to be addicted to something and entrench yourself in it with a lot of time and effort.”
One thing that tends to get overlooked in the pressure-packed moments on the court is the kinship between adversaries. It is not lost at all on Tomas, though, who utilizes companionship from any and all sources while overcoming those tough solo spots.
“In singles, I loved that you got to also know your opponents. You created friendships with your teammates, but I also got to know my opponents and become friends with them,” Tomas says. “Sometimes it can be tough when you have no one to back you up out there. Tennis is a big mental game, and it can be rough when you do not have someone to collaborate with you.”
Composure is key in order to cultivate success in Tomas’ line of athletic work. Especially in a sport when you are essentially your own referee, it is key to keep fighting in a stoic and strong manner–no matter the adverse set score scenario.
“The biggest part of the mental game of tennis is staying calm and collected out there. There are things that can upset a player, especially with the honor system of making your own calls and line judging,” says Tomas. “In tennis, it can be hard to get back up mentally, even when scoring when you are down in a set or match. When you lose a point, you can get down. But I like to play every point as an individual one, even if it is a match point.”
Bolstering his overall ground game while looking to perfect his finesse functions towards center court, Tomas has that dog in him when it comes to fighting through those deficits and bending but never breaking between the ears.
“Through my career, I have improved a lot mentally. In the past, I would dig myself into a hole if I was down in a match, but I have gotten better with that,” says Tomas. “Physically, as far as my skills, I thought my ground strokes were good this year. I would definitely like to progress with my volleys and my net game.”
Tomas took on an adorable task as a captain of a quite youthful club this past spring. Still, now in reflection, he details that when you break it down to a simple science of action over words, a steward can speak quite vocally to his team.
“Being a captain was challenging at times, but it was a great experience for me,” Tomas says. “I think the best and most effective way to be a leader and captain was through just setting examples. I wanted to show them the effort that needs to be put in and also the sportsmanship that is expected out there.”
Warriors’ Head Coach Paul Garrity declares that Tomas has become a great technician while being able to decode his adversaries’ thoughts. Away from the court with the racquet down, he raises up his mentoring skills as a teacher to his teammates.
“His form, strokes, movement around the court, and ability to read his opponent make him a great player. He also has the ability to dig deep and not give up until the final point of the match,” says Garrity. “He would offer advice and strategies to help players improve and win matches. He got along well with everyone on the team, and his playing inspired his teammates to play better themselves.”
The Warriors may have been short on reps in live time when it comes to showing their stuff, but it never derailed their progress. Tomas worked with his fellow cohorts and coach to formulate the best lesson plans to have the underclassmen graduate the year with honors.
“This year was a challenging season because we had a lot of kids that had not played in the offseason or did not have prior in-match experience,” says Tomas. “But we went about our practices thinking of what we could do that would be the most beneficial to the guys and the team, whether it was involving teaching techniques, or helping out with the mental aspect of the sport.”