The Le Mars Community girls tennis team is entering a new chapter of its program by gearing up for fall competition.
The new season began with practices on Monday, and the Bulldogs have their first match on Tuesday, August 12. Le Mars head coach Tifany Wright says the whole summer has been a challenge having to retrain the body for a new routine and preparation process.
The 2025 spring season ended on May 20 meaning there was less than three months between seasons which is unlike anything high school teams have to deal with. Coach Wright says that meant the time that would usually be used to decompress had to be dedicated toward working on the game again.
When girls tennis was being announced for a transition to the fall, there was a concern about the impact of athletes who want to play tennis and volleyball and the conflicts that could arise. Thankfully, Bulldog volleyball head coach Jessica Wolles was Wright’s assistant for the last few seasons. Coach Wright says that has allowed them to approach this change wanting what is best for both programs.
The layout of the schedule provides a positive to girls who would like to still play tennis and their usual fall sport of volleyball or cross country. Since the season begins this early in August, a lot of the major competitions are done before the other fall sports get into full swing. Coach Wright says that layout presents the possibility of girls playing multiple fall sports.
The downside of the schedule layout is the impact it could have on the new tennis players in Le Mars. With tennis historically in the spring, competitions were happening on school days where kids could come by and see what was happening right after school. Coach Wright says having competition begin so early in August could present a hurdle towards girls who want to easily see what tennis is all about.
Le Mars’ first fall competition is set for Tuesday, August 12 at home with a 3:00 PM start time against Sioux City East.
