Girls Tennis Co-Captain Tara Phan ’24 leads her team with a focus on support and positivity. As the only Senior on the team, she serves as a friend and role model for her teammates on and off the court. Through team bonding, music, and individualized check-ins, Phan supports her teammates in performing to the best of their abilities.
As she leads the team, Phan strives to be approachable and make sure everyone’s ideas are heard and considered on the team. Phan noted her goals as a captain when it comes to team culture.
Phan said, “The type of leadership that I strive for is one where everyone is seen and heard. Even though I’m a leader, I want other people to be able to speak up and share their ideas in the end.”
Claire Cheng ’25 highlighted the support that Phan brings to the team. More than just being a pillar of help on the court and during practices, Phan is someone who is approachable and friendly in all settings.
“I feel like her way of captaining might not seem as the traditional way of captaining, but I feel like, honestly, it’s so, so supportive to have her like that… Everything feels more comfortable to be able to talk to her in any way, whether it be as a friend or as a captain. It’s just being able to have her to talk to me and be so supportive in every realm, that us as a team are all in, that’s just what makes her such an amazing captain” said Cheng.
As a player, Phan has a more technical approach to games. Phan shared some of her strategies, building off a fundamental consistency to test opponents with varied angles.
“I try to be more consistent in my shots and I try to angle my shots really well, so that I don’t need to run as much and make my opponent run more. I don’t feel like I don’t have a power game, I play more with the angles and how the ball moves.” said Phan.
Evelyn Kung ’26 described Phan as a strong, crucial player on the team. She highlighted Phan’s efficiency on the court and the enjoyment she gets from watching Phan play on the court.
“As a player, Tara, she’s honestly one of our strongest players, and also, she’s always the first to finish. Her matches always go really quickly, which is really fun, and she’s just really fun to watch. I played her a couple times, and she’s super talented and has a lot of great tennis ability,” said Kung
Cheng emphasized Phan’s vital role on the team, providing positivity and encouragement. Even in difficult moments, Phan is able to keep the team on track and keep its spirits high.
“I think Tara is the light of our team. Her personality, it’s so Tara, and that’s what makes her so unique. She’s so special, she’s just an irreplaceable figure on our team, and she’s just really the light of our team, and she contributes so much in that sense. It’s her positive energy [that] is just really what gets us through. Even when we’re having a tough time, she’ll be there to make us laugh,” said Cheng.
Going into matches, Phan prioritizes individualized feedback and advice. She shared ways in which she works with Co-Captain Lena Ciganer-Albeniz ’25 to help bring the energy up.
“[Before matches] I just like to [do] check-ins with people, and ask if they’re feeling ready and things like that. In the end, Lena leads this cheer. Lena is my Co-Captain, and we’re pretty hyped by the end,” said Phan.
In addition to pre-match check-ins, Kung outlined other ways that Phan helps prepare the team for matches. Through team bonding events and music, Phan is able to raise the energy throughout matches.
“She’s super supportive. She’s always the first one to show up for team brunches. She helps organize psychs, and she’s always really upbeat, like she brings her speaker and plays a lot of music to help us get ready for matches,” said Kung.
Kung highlighted Phan’s unique role as the only Senior on the team. She also noted the impact of Phan’s positivity in such an individualized sport.
“She’s our only Senior on the team, so a lot of people have known her for longer than I have, but she really helps to balance out the overall vibe of the team. Obviously, tennis is a solo sport, so sometimes it’s hard to generate a lot of team spirit, but she really helps to hold us all together and always be really supportive of everyone regardless of how our matches went,” said Kung.
