Meeting up on April 16 are Indianapolis' cross-town rivals. The eastside Warren Central Lady Warriors tennis team will take on the westside Ben Davis Lady Giants.
This is Warren’s sixth meet on their schedule this season, and the Warriors have prepared and played their hearts out up to this point.
According to the players, this match is a chance to show up and show out against Warren's biggest rivals.
Creating goals for the team and individually is very important for any match, but arguably more important for a match against a rival. The team prepares in different ways to help gain individual success and a well-rounded team success.
“A goal I have for myself and the team while preparing to play Ben Davis is acknowledging our strengths and weaknesses as a player, so during practice we have an idea what to focus on and improve," junior Lindsey Wessling said.
Some players have a different focus on the team and for themselves. Acknowledging where the team might need to improve is imperative in order to win.
“A goal I have against Ben Davis is to have a prepared mindset and be confident when playing against them,” junior Diana Cabrera-Lopez said. “My goal is for the team to have the confidence to beat them because there are times that as a team we are insecure. It’s all about mindset.”
While creating goals is important for an athlete, preparing for a match is perhaps even more imperative. The match against Ben Davis is one where being prepared is just as crucial to finding a win, although the players try to maintain the same passion all season regardless of who they are playing.
“Although Ben Davis is one of Warren’s biggest rivals, I would still prepare the same for the match because it’s always best to have a constant goal to win and strive to be the best player I can possibly be,” Wessling said.
Wessling is not the only athlete with this mindset. Finding a focal point and a common idea of how an athlete wants the match to go is just as essential.
“I personally don't find it different from other meets,” sophomore Betsabeth Davalos Romo said. “We are just hoping to be able to beat them at a faster pace than last year.”
In order to win this meet players will have to create a mindset that will set them up for success.
That being said, without a mindset that is positive or encouraging, finding success might be difficult.
“I believe the mindset throughout meets are different, but this one in particular it’s just really to have the confidence and have a positive mindset to win,” Cabrera-Lopez said.