San Juan tennis team gains valuable experience in first half of season

by Rhett Sifford
Sports Editor
The San Juan High School boys tennis team is playing hard and getting valuable varsity experience. Nearing the midway point of the season the Broncos have played 24 total matches and won one.
Following the team’s recent match in Moab on March 28 new head coach Casey Olsen said the highlight of that trip was a round between Conner Montella and Grand’s Liam Knowles.
“They were so evenly matched that they played for over two hours and twenty minutes,” explained Olsen. “After about two hours, they were tied at one match each, four games each in the third set. Conner ended up losing by two games, but it was very close and very intense.”
The Broncos traveled to Vernal April 7-8 to play in the Uintah Invitational, and picked up their first win of the season when Montella defeated Morgan’s Henry Plyer two sets to one in a tie-breaker.
Olsen said the team learned a lot at the tournament and worked hard as a team. He fielded several more questions earlier in the early weeks of the season. Here’s the majority of our conversation via email:
Rhett Sifford: Can you tell me a little bit about how you became the head coach for San Juan boys tennis and what your thoughts are as you start the season?
Coach Olsen: I was asked to be the coach because the person who was going to be head coach this year ended up having to back out. Lance Knight has done it in the past, but he also was too busy to do it this year, so I accepted the position.
Sifford: At this point you’re well underway, but can you talk about what you did in preparing the team to start the season and how that’s carried over into your first matches?
Olsen: Because I was asked right before the season started, I have been trying to get organized and figure all of the logistics out. We weren’t able to practice for a while due to the weather. We have some catching up to do, but I am confident in the boys and their abilities.
Sifford: Tell me about your team this season.
Olsen: Our team this season is pretty small. We only have 12 boys and two of those are on the soccer team, so they aren’t very regular. We have Conner Montella, Denim Howell, and Marty Clinger playing our first three singles positions.
Our first and second doubles teams have been sporadic due to some of the doubles players being on the soccer team, and a couple doubles players quit early in the season. We have several top-notch doubles players though, and we are working on pairing to see which combinations work well. Fortunately all of our team members are hard workers and just good young men in general.
Sifford: Who has stepped up into leadership roles?
Olsen: Conner Montella and Ashton Jones are our team captains. They are both seniors and have been on the tennis team all through high school. Conner has a very strong leadership presence and he is very good at working with the younger players and teaching them some of his skills and techniques. He sets a good example for them. Ashton is also helpful with the young men and has a lot of experience and skill that they can learn from.
Sifford: Has anyone impressed you?
Olsen: There are several that have. Marty Clinger is one of them. He is a senior and this is his first year of tennis. Even though he had a lot of catching up to do, he has worked hard, studied, and practiced. Because of his hard work he’s now playing in the third singles position.
Sifford: What’s the feeling you get from your players through the first half of the year?
Olsen: They are playing for fun. They take it seriously (especially the older guys) but they are just happy to be playing for the most part. 
Sifford: What are your strengths so far?
Olsen: One of our strengths is our work ethic. The boys are hard workers, and if they put their minds to something, they will achieve it.
Sifford: Where are your weaknesses?
Olsen: Right now, I think our weak points are our doubles teams. A lot of the old doubles players want to play singles now, and we had a couple who quit. Most of the boys who want to or are willing to play doubles are freshmen and sophomores.
Our doubles teams players just don’t have much experience. Being young, I think that if they stick with it, they will be very successful in the next few years, even if they are not right now.
Sifford: What do you know about your opposition this year?
Olsen: Having met the teams from Grand and South Sevier, I definitely have to tip my hat to them. They are both serious, hard-working teams with amazing coaches. They will be very tough.
With me being new to coaching and not having much tennis experience (competitively), most teams will definitely have an advantage (another spot where we are weak). Luckily, we have several players who know the sport in and out and they are a big help to me.
Sifford: What goals do you have as a team? Coaching staff?
Olsen: As a coaching staff, our biggest goal is to provide a positive experience for the boys. Working hard, having fun, winning and losing with grace and class, and overall sportsmanship are things we hope they will learn well and apply. If they win, that’s great, but overall we want to help them be the best versions of themselves that they can be.
Sifford: Do you have any other coaches helping you out this year?
Olsen: At first I thought I was going to be alone as head coach. Fortunately, my wife Kaitlyn was quick to volunteer as an assistant. She works at the middle school as a SPED paraprofessional. She was highly involved in sports when she was in school, so she is a huge asset to me as a coach.
At about the same time, Mr. Brett Gappmayer who teaches business at San Juan High School also volunteered. He is very energetic and has a good rapport with most of the team members. He is very hands on and is a huge help to me.