Heading into her senior year, Caroline Schumann knew she was going to have to find a way to juggle her school work, her job and the activities she is involved in, including tennis.

It may seem strange for a senior to be on JV, but for tennis that is nothing out of the ordinary, as there are two other seniors on the team.

“I think when people hear someone say there are seniors on JV it sounds weird at first,” Schumann said. “But it’s actually really normal for tennis, since there is such a small number of girls who play varsity.”

Schumann was not disappointed being a senior on JV because she knew that those seven spots on varsity were hard to come by, and she is satisfied with the leadership position she came to have.

“I do love the sport, but I am not as dedicated as I need to be to secure that spot on varsity,” Schumann said. “I still get to participate in the sport and I get to make those friendships with the younger girls on the team, just like the seniors did when I was a new student coming from Mary Queen of Peace.”

Schumann prefers tennis because it is an individual sport, but also a team sport, where she gets to know her younger teammates by helping them improve their game.

“The difference between tennis and other sports is that it’s an individual sport, but it’s also a team sport,” Schumann said. “Being one of the upper JV players and being able to give the girls tips and advice on tennis while helping them learn the game is helpful. And I think the seniors do a good job of that.”

Ava Godsy, sophomore and JV team member, said Schumann brings aspects of a leader through her outlook of the game and her confidence during matches.

“Caroline has been playing for a long time, and I knew her before I played for Kirkwood through another tennis program,” Godsy said. “She’s always positive and honestly plays tennis to have fun, and I think that sets a good example for the girls; that you don’t have to be the best but just to love the thing you do.”

Nick Jannett, head coach, said Schumann’s ability to lead is helpful not only with her confidence, but also with her play.

“A lot of girls look up to her because she is really involved in school and social,” Jannett said. “She has definitely come across more confident and relaxed this year, which explains why she has become such a good leader who interacts with everybody on the team no matter what their age.”

Even though the tennis team is split into varsity and JV, and they are not always together for matches, there are bonding opportunities with the whole team. According to Schumann, on the day of their first home match, the juniors and seniors got to dress up the underclassmen in funny costumes and made them wear it all day.

“Overall, being a senior means more responsibility and for varsity it’s very competitive and hard on the player in matches,” Schumann said. “Whereas on JV you can have more fun with it, which is something I enjoy.”