GAYLORD — Under the guidance of Coach Dan Hawkins, PTR, the Otsego County high school girls’ tennis team—made up of 12 young women—wrapped up a successful season with a celebration dinner generously provided by Alpine Tavern and Eatery.
Coach Dan praised the team for their strong leadership and work ethic both on and off the court. During the event, he shared a special video presentation he created, highlighting the players’ skills and fun moments throughout the season. He also recognized each player individually, speaking about their unique strengths and presenting them with a certificate of achievement and a personalized gift bag.
The team is composed of student-athletes from Gaylord Public Schools, Otsego Christian School, and the homeschool community.
One of the team’s final season activities was an evening of tennis drills and games alongside female mentors, including members of the Alpine Regional Tennis Association (ARTA) board of directors. Following the event, Coach Dan and the team expressed their appreciation to local restaurant CRAVE for providing pizza, salad, and beverages at the Tennis Center.
Earlier in the season, ARTA extended heartfelt thanks to Jason and Katie Zack, owners of Sure Stop Auto, for their generous donation that helped cover many team expenses.
Despite some weather challenges—including a dangerous spring ice storm—the team was able to compete in regional matches against schools from Petoskey, Boyne City, East Jordan, Traverse City West, Grayling, Traverse City St. Francis, Alpena, Charlevoix, and Traverse City Central JV.
For more information about summer tennis activities and to watch the high school girls’ team video, visit www.gaylordtennis.com or check out the ARTA Facebook page.
