Monrovia Tennis in Search of a Program Renaissance, falls short to San Marino

The Wildcats did what they could but were ultimately no match for San Marino as they fell short 17-1 on Tuesday. – Photo by Aaron Valdez / Beacon Media News

By Aaron Valdez

 It’s no secret the Wildcats of Monrovia girls tennis haven’t enjoyed a lot of success since its establishment as a program. However, new Head Coach Bethanie Blake is determined to overhaul Monrovia into a respected program even if she has to start from scratch.

“I think we just need a good team culture and some structure,” Blake said. “We also need to start doing the typical things that come with being on a team like being on time, showing up, wearing a uniform, practicing hard and not trying to leave early.”

Last season, Blake was as an assistant coach for the Wildcats before she was promoted. She would aid last year’s head coach manage the team while also helping the boys’ team when she could.

Monrovia’s latest match against Rio Hondo League powerhouse San Marino on Tuesday didn’t go as well as the Wildcats would have liked as they lost 17-1. With the loss, Monrovia’s record dropped to 1-8 on the season. The team’s only win came against Duarte on Sept. 10.

Despite Monrovia’s struggles to gain any sort of relevancy as a program, Blake still has some goals she would like to accomplish from now until the end of the season.

“I think if we finish with a positive attitude and not with an attitude like ‘we always lose’ and we’re actually a good team, that would be a start to turning things around,” Blake said.

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