Budget cuts have negatively affected teachers, coaches, students, and athletes, but one student trying to reverse the effects is senior tennis player, Aaron Lee. Lee will be putting on a tennis tournament for his senior project; the tournament will not only provide Aaron with a great opportunity, but the money earned will benefit the tennis program at Placer.
The tournament will be held on November sixth at the Placer High School tennis courts. Although the tournament will be held on the sixth, the deadline for sign ups is November fourth. The fee to play in the tournament is twenty dollars; the proceeds will go to pay for anything necessary for the tournament and the rest will be donated to the Placer High School tennis program.
“I wanted to give back something [to the tennis program] after all it’s done for me” stated Lee.
Lee started playing tennis his freshman year, making this his fourth year. For such a short span of time he has worked his way up the ladder and spent his junior year as a starter, as well as one of the top players on Placer’s team. Lee is sure to be a key aspect to the Placer High School tennis team’s success this year.
“Tennis is probably something that has been the most influential in my life at Placer,” remarked Lee.
Tom and Jen Isaac, Lee’s coaches and mentors, are largely influential to his successful tennis career. Lee credits coach Tom because although he pushed him hard his freshman year, it has obviously paid off.
“When you first look at Aaron you think he’s a really quiet, shy kid, but tennis brings out a different side of him; he gets to be a different person” revealed Lee’s coach Jen Isaac.
Jen thinks it’s a great project for Lee because he gets to leave his own legacy behind along with greatly helping out the tennis program. Not only does it teach Lee to advertise, talk to people, and be in charge of something, but he gets to help a sport that greatly needs fundraising at Placer High School. She recommends that anyone who loves a challenge and likes to compete should come.
The tournament is open to all ages, as long as they meet one of the three levels of competition which are: 3.0-3.5 (8:00-11:00 AM), 3.5-4.0 (11:00 AM-2:00 PM), 4.0+ (2:00-5:00 PM). It begins at 8 AM Saturday morning, November 6, and should finish up around 5 PM. Participants should come ready to play, time varying with whichever level they signed up for. Lunch will be provided at noon and refreshments and snacks will be served throughout the day. If you are interested in participating in the tournament you can contact Aaron Lee at [email protected].