The blazing sun shines onto the court, the heat 10 degrees hotter than normal. The players suffer from near heatstroke front and back, but yet one person stands, racket in hand, persevering through their exhaustion and thirst, holding their team together like a light at the end of the tunnel.
Senior Cielo Fernandez-Gonzalez, captain and heart of our Varsity tennis team, has put immeasurable effort to become the player she is today; pushing forward through long stays after school, and adapting to the loss of her friends who have left the team throughout the years.
Fernandez joined the tennis team during her freshman year of high school, motivated by a friend who pushed her to leave her comfort zone and try out something new.
“I had to get out of my shell in order to be where I’m at,” Fernandez said.
Ironically, the very friend who motivated her to try tennis quit shortly after, but Fernandez didn’t allow that to shake her dedication, instead finding herself already hooked on the sport.
“I already put so much into the sport, so why quit now? Let me put in more effort to see how far it can get me” she said.
That passion for tennis only grew stronger with a change in the team’s management early in her career. The positivity and encouragement of her coach became a driving force in her development.
“I would push myself to try to better my abilities, and that really paid off because now Coach Nicholls is proud of where I’ve gotten and that makes me more confident in myself and my abilities” she said,
Fernandez was hungry for improvement, and her determination pushed her to her very limit, staying at practices twice as long as required, not only to practice more but to bond with her teammates and underclassmen.
Her efforts did not go unnoticed, and by her senior year, she was named team captain not only for her consistent efforts to improve her performance but her ability to inspire, maintain, and motivate her team.
“I want them to continue to try to be better for themselves to get to higher levels. I push them instead of dragging them with me, and let them focus on their abilities” she said.
Even with the responsibilities of being captain and the expectations placed on her, both by herself and her family, Fernandez steps onto the court each day with a smile, reflecting her deep love for both her team and her sport.
“The people, the team and the coach. Those have mainly been my main reason to stay in tennis because I love being around my team. I’ve bonded with them so much that I feel like that’s what makes me happier on the court. Whenever I see my family, my friends, on the court it’s a big part of why I have stayed for so long.” she said.
For Fernandez, the bond she shares with her team is of utmost importance. She considers them to be her “family,” those whom she trusts the most.
Looking back at past captains, Fernandez hopes to build upon their example and make improvements, she wants to be the backbone whom her team can turn to at any time for guidance and support.
While she humbly doesn’t believe herself to be worthy of being seen as a source of inspiration, Fernandez remains committed and promises to perform her best to push her underclassmen to surpass even her abilities in the future.
“I want to at least influence one kid. One kid is enough. I hope I can make them show more interest and want to learn and be better. I want them to have that drive and passion to do better.”
After graduation, Fernandez expects to be joining the Tennis program at Lone Star College, to which she was invited for her outstanding courage and determination, and where she will continue to polish her abilities to perform at even greater levels.
“I know I’m not d1 or d2 level but I will try to find a club that I can join, maybe tennis club so I can continue playing and improving because I’ve gotten this far and it’s the sport that I really enjoy and I’ve gotten the hang of so, I don’t wanna lose all of my hard work after graduation.” Fernandez said.
