Welcome to Taylor’s Tennis Corner – where shots get real.  Today, I will explore court culture. And, based on the empty bleachers at matches, it looks like you all need to get served.

Tennis. That thing you play on the Wii. I decided to take my skills from the virtual world to reality for the past three years as a member of the Wofford women’s tennis team. On the Wii, controllers are swung and balls are hit. But hitting the books is a skill that the Wii does not prepare you for. Wofford student athletes love competition, but sometimes the battle between athletics and academics can result in lots of caffeine and an abundance of naps.

However, as my fellow student athletes can testify, possibly one of the coolest things about being an athlete at Wofford is recovery ice baths in the winter. Or perhaps it is the early morning workouts that always seem to start the day off with a bang. Or maybe it is the late night bus rides back to campus knowing you are burdened with schoolwork due in the morning. Sound familiar?

So, with all that said, it’s a general consensus that for student athletes it is the little things in life that can brighten our days. Like when coach says that there is no running or when we have a day off to finally catch up on the sleep that we have been lacking for months. Or perhaps when Burwell breakfast is on point because we athletes are always hungry.

The women’s tennis team has a lot to be acing about these days. For one, the Reeves Tennis Center has seen a bit of a facelift in recent months. At the beginning of the year it was rumored that the Terriers would resurface their courts in black and gold colors, something only a few have dared to try. I can see it now: my opponent, standing on the other side of the net, screaming in frustration as she begins to look cross-eyed as she tries to decipher between the yellow ball and the yellow court. Talk about home court advantage! However, despite the efforts of unfailing school spirit, the courts have been refinished in a brilliant, “eye friendly” blue and green.

The tennis center is also now well equipped with a snazzy scoreboard that allows spectators, when we have them, to easily keep up with the scores of all the matches. I will admit the scoring in tennis can be difficult to those who are not familiar with the game. But no worries, this scoreboard is foolproof for novices and veterans alike. With remote controllers in hand, each player is in charge of their own destiny.

In addition to our new and improved courts, the Terriers have installed a new speaker system at the tennis center. With the loud construction of the new fraternity row next to the courts, the new speaker system is music to everyone’s ears. The surround sound allows for the starting lineup, National Anthem and music to be heard across campus. If you listen carefully, you may or may not be able to decipher between the playlists of the men’s and women’s teams. I will let your ears decide for themselves.

Nonetheless, not all the court culture happens on the court. Students who live in The Village have been dubbed the unofficial team cheerleaders. I have seen many of them peering from the windows of their apartments, spontaneously appearing on the balconies and purposely walking by the courts. During matches, I will occasionally hear a drunken yell of “Go T-Dogs” on the weekends.

While they may dream of having a keg on the court, I guess our loyalist fans will have to stay on their balconies. Maybe they are just hesitant to venture to the bleachers because they are unsure of proper spectator etiquette. However, whether it is practice or matches, a few brave souls from the men’s soccer team experience court culture first hand. Their loud cheering may teeter on the line of an ace or a fault, but their enthusiastic support is always greatly appreciated.

There you have it. There is no denying that I have given you an abundance of reasons to experience this court culture for yourself. So now disperse yourselves among the blue and green courts and remember folks: if you want to have a racket, Reeves Tennis Center is where it’s at.