Junior Caitiyln Ruggeri has played tennis since she was eight years old and has been on the varsity roster for Kennedy Girls Tennis since her freshman year.
Ruggeri started playing tennis because her parents encouraged her to. Support from her parents has been present throughout her entire tennis career and has made a difference in how she views the sport.
“My parents are my biggest supporters when it comes to tennis, when I first started out that encouragement really helped keep me motivated to play and to try to get better,” Ruggeri said.
Since the start of her high school career, Ruggeri’s rankings have gone up. Her freshman year she started as the third on the team, to her sophomore year being the first, with a continuation of that placement for this 2025 season.
Ruggeri ended her 2024 season with a 82-142 game win-loss record. Outside of the school season she has been working to improve this ratio.
During the school’s off season, Ruggeri practices at the Smithfield Tennis and Pickleball Center for three to four days a week, totaling roughly five hours of practice.
“I have been preparing a lot for this first match by playing several times a week and trying to stay consistent with all of my shots,” Ruggeri said.
Playing tennis has given Ruggeri many fond memories and has started new friendships with the other players.
“I like tennis not only for the sport but also the people involved,” Ruggeri said. “I’ve gotten a lot of friendships out of tennis and so many funny memories that I would’ve never experienced if I were to never have started playing.”
During tennis season, there is an impact on her school work as the practices and meets can take away time for her to study or do homework.
“Tennis season impacts my motivation when it comes to school work, especially after a meet. Studying and homework normally get done really late into the night because I don’t have time to study before,” Ruggeri said.
Leaving class early for away games also impacts her school work, but Ruggeri says the van rides are part of what makes it worth it.
“It’s always fun talking to teammates and messing around with teammates before a meet. And the food. Culver’s [is my favorite because] you can get the free scoop of ice cream,” Ruggeri said.
Ethan Divis is the girls tennis coach, and this will be his second year coaching the team.
“I’m excited to see how things go. I’ve been to a couple of local college tennis practices, learning and talking to other coaches on how to improve things. I’m excited to see how things work out,” Divis said.
After last year with Divis as her coach, Ruggeri is looking forward to Divis being her coach again this season.
“This last tennis season with Divis as our coach has made me feel a lot more reassured and supported when it comes to playing at meets,” Ruggeri said.
Through Divis’s coaching, Ruggeri has become a better tennis player, as well as a more outgoing player on and off the court.
“Last year, at times she came off a bit as quiet and shy, but as the year went on I got to know her more and see more of her fun personality. I can tell she has a lot of fun playing tennis,” Divis said. “As a player, she grew tremendously. She was thrown in some tough matches as our #1 player as a sophomore, through those matches she improved greatly and I’m excited to see how she will do this upcoming season.”
When Ruggeri is facing a tough opponent, her teammates are there to assist her if she needs them to.
“I get nervous right before the first game after spinning the racket to choose who serves but after a couple of minutes I slowly start to calm down as I start to learn what to expect from the other player,” Ruggeri said. “What keeps me going in rough patches is my teammates, they are always extremely supportive and can cheer me up whether they meant to or not. As well as my coach as he tries his best to help me get through tough games.”
Ruggeri is ready for this season to pick up and played her first match on April 8, 2025. She started her season winning her first singles match against Wahlert Catholic High School.
“I’m definitely looking forward to [the season],” Ruggeri said. “I’m excited to see how it will go but also a little nervous as you almost never know what to expect when you step onto the court.”
