Pacing up and down the sidelines, girls tennis coach Sarah Hibbert takes sporadic pauses to observe every single player. Offering tips to each of her athletes, she uses her own racket to demonstrate proper overhand serving techniques, foot placement, and hip stance. However, her help goes beyond just tennis technique.

“I try to find each individual player’s motivation. Some people need to be told warm-cuddly things. Others need more firm reminders,” Hibbert said.

This understanding that players need help outside of physical drills and activity is something that makes Hibbert stand out from other coaches. The idea that athletes need help with the mental aspect of the sport is something Hibbert understands as a person who initially struggled with her decision to continue the sport.

“I started when I was young, but then stopped for a while. Over time I became more committed and I eventually ended up playing in high school and college,” Hibbert said.

Throughout her past 15 years of coaching over 30 seasons of tennis, Hibbert has built a lot of experience. She has coached both teams and individuals who went on to win matches at the highest level.

“A couple years ago, we had a girl who made it all the way to the state championship and was the state champion of NJ. That was pretty cool,” Hibbert said.

Hibbert is excited for the upcoming season and believes her girls team can have an impact at counties, states and potentially beyond. She is excited to both physically and mentally encourage the athletes to improve this season. In order to be successful, Hibbert stresses the importance of individual hard work, especially in a sport as competitive as tennis.

“When you’re out on court it’s all you, and the fate of the match rests on your shoulders,” Hibbert said.

However, the individual aspect is one of the biggest appeals of tennis and is what initially drew Hibbert to the sport. It is rewarding to know that you are in full control of what happens on the court and makes victory so much sweeter.

“My favorite moments are definitely watching the joy on somebody’s face when they come back and win a match they didn’t think they were going to win,” Hibbert said.

While the team has experienced a lot of success during their season, there have also been some low points. According to Hibbert, one especially difficult challenge was connecting with leaders on the team and forming a plan for rookies to become integrated into the program.

“Because of COVID-19 it was definitely difficult. It was kind of go to practice, do your drills and play your matches. We only had 30 seconds to socialize and then we all went home,” Hibbert said.

Looking forward for this year and beyond, Hibbert is looking to implement better communication throughout the team through hosting more team events like team lunches and dinners. She is looking forward to creating a strong culture of leadership and teamwork.