Haleigh Mcfarland, 7th grade tennis player, is dedicated; she practices hard each and every day.

Even though the tennis season begins in the Spring, the whole team practices for 45 minutes every morning from the beginning of the year so that by the time tennis season starts, they will be ready to compete.

McFarland goes beyond that. “I also practice at home from 4:30-8:00 p.m.,” she said.

Mcfarland said she feels comfortable playing tennis.

“I like to compete against people and you don’t have to be tall to play,” she said.

She said she is inspired by the great tennis players. “Lelila Venabele, a professional tennis player, inspires me. She makes it look fun,” she said, adding that she watches Venabele play tennis on TV, and she would love to meet her one day.

Mcfarland is the first from her family to play tennis. “My family does not know how to play tennis. I am the first one to play, and I am happy to play a sport that no one has played,” she said.

Practices are fun, but competitions are better, she said. She can’t wait until her tennis season starts because she loves the thrill and challenge of competing against other schools.