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08/27/2024 10:46 AMEmily Cerasoli knew from a young age that she wanted to keep the court at her side upon her high school years. With a steadfast dedication to her craft that never takes a vacation, she worked and booked herself into a big solo assignment and leadership role.
The North Haven senior grew up with soccer and figure skating on her sporting slate, before she was intrigued by seeing people playing tennis at a country club. At the end of elementary school, Emily began taking tennis lessons and clinics. She was determined to play for the Nighthawks entering high school, and she saw her dream to fulfillment. After starting out in doubles, she moved over to the No. 3 singles slot last spring as a junior and will be a team captain in 2025 on the heels of a 9-8 season in 2024.
“I love how with tennis, the team is one special community. I love hitting the ball with my friends and just hanging out at the courts. I also love how easy it is to play with others,” says Emily. “My parents always helped me and supported me with tennis, plus my coaches have always been there for me through the years at various levels.”
Switching up her on-court scenery was certainly a transition for Emily. Yet while losing an emotional and mental boost in the form of a dance partner, she gravitated towards the solo spotlight and having all of the pressure of a match fall on her.
“Moving from doubles to singles was certainly an adjustment for me,” Emily says. “But in singles, I love how I am dependent upon myself. I can get hard on myself at times, but it is nice to be by yourself out there at times. Having someone to cheer you up with a partner helps your mental game. Singles can be hard because it is just you and your opponent, but you know only you can do it.”
One miscue on a point in no way dictates future tallies, unless Emily permits it, she explains. She knows that she must have the mind of a champion by never letting any errors manifest themselves in her head space.
“My coaches just tell me to focus on my next point. I do not let a mistake affect my next point because it will never help,” Emily says. “I do not focus on the past. I just make the adjustments that I need to from the mistake and keep myself in a positive mindset.”
Emily has prided herself on excellent service when firing from the baseline with countless hours serving up the heat. She adds, though, that as a solo artist now, she may need some attention on her center court game. But she knows with some attention to detail and diligence on it, she can hold off those shortcomings.
“I have worked hard on my serve,” says Emily. “I spend a few hours a day just hitting serves, and it has gotten really fast, and I’m proud of it. One of my weaknesses is that, as a singles player, I do not go to the net much, so I need to work on volleys, as I tend to make more mistakes at the net.”
The Nighthawks grew as a group on and off the court last campaign while making some good headway in states and giving their best against the best competition. She reflects that what carried the girls so far was that underlying cohesion away from the court that inevitably shined its way onto it.
“We accomplished a lot last year. We went to states and won a match before losing to the team that ended up being state champions,” Emily says. “We had some seniors that left from the year before, but we tried our best, and a lot of the people on the team practiced year-round. For the team, our bonding was great. We were always positive, and our connection carried to the court.”
North Haven Head Coach Bob Migliorini explains that Emily has earned the captain’s nod for the upcoming campaign due in large part to her patience and attention to detail towards both her craft and club.
“Emily is one of the hardest workers and most dedicated players on the team,” says Migliorini. “Her teamwork is exceptional. She will be a key contributor to our singles lineup for 2025 and is a co-captain of the team for the upcoming season. She is a real pleasure to coach and is always striving to improve her game.”
As Emily works in the fall and winter to make herself a more well-rounded player, she is aware of the bigger picture that awaits her next spring. Being a squad steward, she looks to lead North Haven back to the postseason by keeping those bonds airtight with all teammates–both new and returning.
“For myself, I definitely want to become a stronger player, and so I will keep working hard with offseason practicing and training,” Emily says. “I also want to make sure I connect with the freshmen next year and welcome them. The team graduated a lot of seniors after this year’s team. So as a captain, I want to help everyone get in a good groove. We want to also make states.”