by Michael Harrell (Posted on March 2, 2026 @ 2:19 p.m.)

The Alamo Heights Junior School eighth-grade tennis team conducts practice sessions to prepare for games and improve their skills. Team member Valyn Pfullmann explained their practice methods.

“Practice starts during the 9th period and sometimes continues after school, and it works well with most of the team’s schedules.” The warm-up routine consists of stretching, hitting the ball back and forth, and sometimes running. This helps reduce soreness during practice.

Valyn described what they do during practice: they participate in singles and doubles matches and sometimes play Muleball, which is an elimination game. They also focus on hitting the ball back and forth and sometimes do different activities, but they mostly follow the same routine every practice.

When asked, “Are there any struggles?” Valyn said, “I don’t think so. I’ve learned stuff I need to work on each day and I get it done the next day, and what the team focuses on the most is getting the ball back and forth longer.” She also mentioned that everyone is skilled at hard shots and overhead techniques. “I do a reset whenever I lose a match.” Following a loss, the team analyzes what went wrong and then fixes it.

In conclusion, the eighth-grade tennis team has effective practice methods for improving their skills, from warm-ups to consistent practice routines. Most struggles have been addressed, and there are many team strengths. This approach has contributed to a successful season, with individual improvement and game victories demonstrating both personal and team success.