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Old 05-08-2022, 10:36 PM   #56
Young Drachma
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Join Date: Apr 2001
District tournament seeding yesterday. I should've fought harder to make sure my 2nd doubles team was in the Top 4. Per usual, our rival's coach used her influence to make sure both my players got absurdly tough matches and everyone went along with it because they let her do what she wants.

I should've raised a bigger stink, but 1) I would've lost and 2) there's no guarantee that my kids would've gotten better matchups.

Good news
#1 team is top seed. Our #3 doubles team got a really good draw against a very weak 3-seed that were seeded too high, but we preferenced 1st doubles teams over 2nd doubles teams. Assuming they can win a 2nd round match against that team, they'll have a cakewalk to the semis where they'd likely meet our top-seeded doubles team.

On the singles end, our best player is the obvious 1-seed. Our 2nd best player despite barely playing singles was boosted ahead of the kid I actually advocated to be a 4-seed because everyone is afraid to play her. I knew there was no way I could fight it, because the coaches were all acting in their own self-interest; rather than fairness.

But she'll cruise to the finals now because at least with a late swap, they moved her out of the quadrant with my #1 singles player and instead forcing her to play the 2-seed who she'll destroy. So a small salve to the situation.

Bad news

My 2nd doubles team get a quarterfinal matchup against the 2-seeds. This was a mistake on my part, I should've fought this harder and I didn't. The rival school's coach's logic was that her 2nd doubles pairing now has a girl who mostly played 1st doubles and so it was fairer for them to be a 4-seed rather than the 5. I should've fought this, because we never got a chance to play them together.

But even had I fought, the other coaches do whatever she tells them and I wouldn't have had enough support without pretty much blowing up the whole process and so...it wasn't worth it even though it's super unfair.

Bad News #2 My 5-seed (3rd singles player) ends up getting stuck on the 7th seeds place because you can't meet your own partner until the semis. She gets an unfair quarterfinal match against the 3-seed, which they mostly setup because everyone is ducking my #2 singles player who is going D1.

The only reason I didn't freak out about this is 1) I expected this to happen and 2) I think my girl (who is a very composed pusher who frustrates everyone she plays and is 18-0 in her HS career) will be a bad matchup for this girl from the other school. They've never played before, but the would-be quarterfinals opponent is only a 4 UTR. She's a very big hitter, but doesn't have much precision and she lacks composure. She thinks she's better than she is, so she's very mistake prone.

Best of all, they've never really scouted my singles player and so...it's going to probably be the toughest match she's played in HS -- just given the stakes -- but I think that provided she can play her game and once she gets a lead, it's going to be wrap for that other girl.

It makes me happy that I scheduled that 6A last week as a pre-state warmup because if she does win, it'll be because she played that girl at 2-singles last week. That match was against a big hitter who she actually was down 2-1 at first, before coming back and figuring it out and winning 8-3.


So in general, the bracket did not shape up well for us despite having the better players and it's possible if things went badly we'd only qualify 4 players (2 singles & 1 doubles team) to state. In most years, getting 4 would be a really good outcome. The last time they won state (in 2016) they only qualified with 4 players.

That said, it would happen if my players literally forget how to play tennis. Parents have been texting me today saying they were at the clubs this weekend hitting, my 2nd doubles team worked with a pro yesterday and others were playing today and looked good.

My expected best case scenario after tomorrow? I think the 3rd singles girl figures out the puzzle of that 3-seed girl and ends up winning. I think the 3rd doubles team will demolish that weak 3-seed because the anchor of that team is a D1 volleyball commit who is AMAZING at the net.

They almost beat the 1-doubles team they played last week from that 6A school, but those players just had huge serves and too much pace for them to keep up with. The team they'll play in the 2nd round will have NONE of this.

As for my 2nd doubles pairing, I have devised a gameplan for them. The other key component in that match is that 2-seed have only played doubles together once this year. They're not a good doubles pairing and so, I think if my girls -- who have played together since March -- are on their game, it's very possible for them to get ahead. As singles players, that other team are both hot-heads who hate playing from behind, get frustrated and rush things.

So I'm banking on frustrating tennis being the key of the day to keep them out of state. It'll be truly the most rewarding moment of my career if we can find a way to solve that puzzle...

Also, I've submitted my resignation already. The kids don't know it yet, but I'm not coming back next season. So this is our swan song.

If I had to guess, I think we'll end up with 7 going to state. 2 doubles teams and 3 singles players. That 2nd doubles team are the wild card....because getting 9 would be absolutely bonkers, but doable.
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