Dragon Sports by Estelle Cottingham
We is Greater than Me perfectly describes the Carroll Dragonbrtennis team. With 28 varsity and 30 junior varsity players, the program enjoysbrstrong support from parents, friends and the entire high school— and it’s this supportbrthat has made Dragon tennis what it is today. The program truly exemplifiesbrwhat a Dragon family is really made of — hard work, dedication andbrunconditional love.
The season starts even beforebrschool begins, in late July, with matches, practice and relentless conditioning.brThis is Coach Corey Aldridge's second year at the helm, and he hopes to see Carrollbradvance further than last year, when the team reached the Region Semifinals.
With 12 boys and girls players broughtbrup to varsity, the Carroll team not only looks more skilled than in years past butbralso might be more close-knit than ever. The team gets together every otherbrThursday for dinner, not as a mandatory activity but because they love beingbrtogether so much.
“There are some weeks we spend morebrtime together than we do with our own families,” Aldridge says.
With practice every morning andbrhectic class schedules, these student athletes have a challenge to face inbrkeeping up good grades, but seniors Jack Learmonth and Elise Landers have foundbrways to succeed.
Learmonth is a four-year lettermanbrwhose friends and family keep him motivated. He is planning on attending thebrUniversity of Oklahoma next year to study petroleum engineering and, of course,brplay tennis. Although his journey in Southlake will end soon, he has learnedbrmany life skills in high school and as a member of the tennis team.
“Being on the Carroll team hasbrshown me what being in a family is like,” Learmonth says.
Like Learmonth, Elise Landers is abrfour-year letterman at Carroll. She keeps her priorities straight, and thatbrmeans keeping up her grades. Although she might not get as much sleep, shebrbelieves that in the end, it is worth it. Her future is bright as she plans tobrattend Texas A&M or Oklahoma next fall to study engineering. She also hasbrno plans of leaving tennis.
“Honestly, I think I will end upbrplaying for the rest of my life,” Landers says. “It is something I grew upbrplaying because my mom played in college, so she taught our whole family how tobrplay tennis practically when we learned how to walk.”
For the Carroll tennis team,brworking together and being there for one another on and off the court willbrhopefully pay off in a successful season. Being in sync with one another willbrhelp the team thrive and perform better, says Aldridge.
“Not only do I think we are good,brbut we also have a group of really good kids,” he adds. “When I say that, Ibrmean that they are respectful, driven and smart kids who I don't have to worry aboutbrwith discipline problems.”
Carroll is off to a great startbrthis season and will battle for a District 4-5A title, which will be decidedbrOct. 12. The area and regional rounds follow with the Class 5A state tournamentbrheld Nov. 1–2 in Austin.
Photo credits: CISD Intern Adam Kit.
EstellebrCottingham is a memberbrof the Carroll Communications and Marketing Internship Program. Estelle is abrsophomore at Carroll High School. She is the student council treasurer, a memberbrof the National Charity League and a huge Texas Rangers fan.