Tennis - Boys

🎾 Welcome to Mercer Island Boys Tennis (MIBT)

We are proud to represent Mercer Island High School as a top-tier 3A tennis program in the KingCo Conference. MIBT includes three competitive teams—Varsity, JV1, and JV2—with over 50 dedicated student-athletes and five passionate coaches committed to delivering an excellent tennis experience.

We are a Fall sport, with our primary season running August through October, and postseason competition in May (Districts and State).

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🧾 Team Structure

How many players are on each team?

• Varsity: ~14 players

• JV1: ~24 players

• JV2: ~12 players

Team sizes may vary depending on the year.

What level of play is expected?

• Varsity: Highly competitive; most athletes compete year-round and have a UTR between 3–8.

• JV1 & JV2: Variable skill levels. Players should have prior tennis experience, including the ability to serve, rally, and keep score.

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📋 Tryouts & Team Placement

How are teams determined?

The coaching staff will consider several variables in making team decisions. The season is short and we need to make decisions about teams and the Singles and Doubles ladders within each team very quickly. Key tangible and intangible variables are considered. For returning players we start with your position on the singles and doubles ladders at the end of the year and your performance in the post season. We anticipate that in the interim, development will occur and look for evidence of growth as we endeavor to find the best team fit all our athletes. 

We consider:

1. UTR (Universal Tennis Rating) in Singles and Doubles as an indicator

2. USTA tournament results (past 12 months)

3. Challenge Match / Intra-team Tournament results

4. The coaching staff will also ascertain  important factors like coachability,  team orientation and growth mindset. 

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🗓️ Pre-Season Requirements

Before tryouts:

• Complete all forms on [FinalForms – link below]

• Submit a current physical

• Pay your sports fee

• Understand that coaches will be reviewing your past UTR and USTA results

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🏁 Tryout Week

Tryouts begin: Monday, August 25 at 9:00 AM at MIHS courts

• Players with UTR < 3 or no UTR will be evaluated by coaching staff on stroke fundamentals and overall athleticism.

• Players with UTR ≥ 3will enter directly into practice and match play.

• Expect challenge matches and intra-team tournament play during the first week.

• Singles ladders for all three teams will be published by the end of tryout week.

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⏰ Season Commitment

Varsity

• Practice: 3:15–4:45 PM (Mon–Fri) at MIHS courts

• Some days may run until 5:00 PM

JV1

• Practice: 4:30–5:45 PM (Mon–Fri) at MIHS courts

JV2

• Practice: 5:30–6:45 PM (Tues–Thurs) at MIHS or Homestead courts (when matches are scheduled at MIHS)

Time Commitment

• Varsity: Block 3–6 PM Mon–Fri, Aug 25–Oct 18 + May postseason

• JV1: Block 3–6 PM Mon–Fri through Oct 10

• JV2: Block 3–6 PM Tues–Thurs through Oct 10

Rainy Days
Practice still occurs! Could include:

• Indoor tennis at MICC

• Team meetings at MIHS

• Fitness training at Peak or the Boys & Girls Club

Matches may be rescheduled, including weekends, due to weather.

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📆 Conflicts & Expectations

Weekly Conflicts
MIBT requires full commitment. Weekly commitments that require you to miss practices or matches are not a good fit for MIBT. Examples of conflicts we do not excuse are Driver’s Ed, non-MIHS Theater, private music lessons, work, club sports, SAT prep and tutoring. 

Academic Conflicts
Excused:

• MIHS band, drama, DECA, or school-related trips

• Major testing (SAT, ACT, AP exams)

If your schedule does not allow for full participation this year, we encourage you to continue enjoying tennis recreationally and rejoin when you’re available!

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🔗 Helpful Links

• 📅 MIBT Schedule & Results: Find @ Kingcoathletics.com

MIHS Hall of Fame Members
1971 Brian Adams	1987 Matt Zisette
1971 Rob Bradshaw	1989 Chet Crile
1974 Dave Larson	1992 Tim Gottesman
1974 Dave Maeser	1997 Dalibor Snyder
1974 Dave Rumph	2007 Chris Bailey
1977 Tom Segers	2007 Trevor Fulp
1979 Steve Winterbauer	1961-1995 Geoff Mills (Coach)
1982 Andy Winterbauer	1991-2009 Joyce Hedlund (Coach)
1984 Rick Hodge