Coaches Corner for August 6th: Shawn Latimer, Boone Girls Tennis

Joining us on coach's corner KWBG gonna talk some boon girls tennis today as Sean Latimer joining us and I know we've already obviously done this for a year, but coach always kind of interested just to find out You know learning stuff from last year with it being in in fall for the first time to now this year And just kind of tell us how you're gonna handle that Well, I think the nicest thing that I've noticed in year two is that I didn't even think about was the bathrooms are always open in the fall You know, so that's that's a nice thing that that have happened, you know I didn't even think about that the first year, you know, we've made a little bit of adjustments this year on practice times You know kind of you know around the heat and stuff like that and try to see what that what works best for everybody and You know, that's kind of the biggest adjustment But I think the the really nicest thing is, you know, we've got girls that we're coming in We're you know, we're ready to go because we've worked in the summertime whereas, you know in the spring season sometimes, you know We you know, it's expensive to go hit indoors and and you know, you don't get as much hitting in where it's outside in the summer You know, I'd go out and play so that's kind of been a biggest difference with that And I think you know, we're just a little more match ready and you know condition stuff just because of that Something else that went down last year was I hate to say magical season, but let's be honest We talked and it was I remember doing the season wrap with you And it was so much fun to to just look back Sean at the highlights and what kind of went down and what happened last year I know you have to kind of put that to rest But then you see a majority of that team returning this year So tell me I guess your first thoughts when you looked at the calendar knew that August was coming real soon Yeah, you know, it's hard not to get excited, you know You got seven of your ten top, you know coming back for this year on a team that was you know I had a great run last year and yeah, I wouldn't say it was a run that we didn't anticipate But it was a run that definitely ended a lot better than I thought we were gonna be at the end of the year I wasn't sure, you know, I kind of felt we probably know with Columbus again I wasn't quite sure if we could get over that hump with them But you know to have that run and and to get over that hump and and get in to stay with that was great You know, we had great performance to stay with you know, Kaylee and Libby doubles, you know And have those both them both back again this year is is a great thing for us to look forward to and You know, we're kind of you know, we're excited I think for the season and I guess we'll definitely find out next Thursday, you know Where we where we set up Everybody loves expectations until they're right right right on them, right, you know, everybody loves an expectation I mean, I think last year we thought you'd be competitive and I know sometimes people say the word competitive and people get a little bit worried And they go, what do you mean competitive? And I guess I look at competitive thinking if I have ten matches I think we can win nine of them in my opinion. That's very competitive This year maybe a little bit more of the expectations a little bit higher We talked about some of the girls obviously from last year. We've also brought one in Hopefully I don't butcher her name right away But Maya a punch on Chow Rai has come in this year as a freshman and she's gonna be in the mix and potentially a big part of this season Sean I know you have to temper expectations a little bit, but boy. Oh boy, that's a grouper This is a group on paper that could do some special stuff Yeah It's always nice to kind of not be have a target on your back And kind of be able to slide through the season kind of unnoticed, but I don't think that's gonna happen this year I think you know the expectations are definitely very high that you know the feeling are that coming into the season we as a team if we all stay healthy and Competitive that you know, I think there's a good shot that we could be one of the final team standing hopefully and We'll see how it plays out, but it's definitely a little different feeling. I guess having having a little Higher expectations than we have in the past. So We'll see how it goes Well, we just mentioned Maya, but you also have another freshman that has come And I know has done a nice job to get started with the Harper keel of course younger sister Of kailey. Tell me what you've seen at practice so far. Sean not just with her but with everybody with the girls What have you seen here in the first couple of weeks? Well, you know, I other than the rain out we had yesterday. We've had a couple really nice days of practice I you know, I felt that are I think you can almost feel it in them. They they they understand What's what's at stake? You know, I wouldn't say what at the stake, but what what can happen this year? They you know, they seem to be pretty well focused at practice Getting a lot of balls and and you know, we got after it a little bit yesterday with some Playing some points out and you can just kind of it can kind of feel that they know what's coming and they feel like they You know, we had some stay after practice yesterday and hit a few extra balls You know, I think they know what's the what's you know What's expected of them to get ready for this year and like I said that a lot of them worked a lot this summer and You know, so they you know, I think they're ready to go and we just hopefully we can get some good weather here the next you know next week looks a little iffy but Hopefully we can get some good weather and get some you know more solid practices in and get ourselves ready to go for next Thursday Sean schedule looks a pretty familiar from last year Did you think about making much changes or were you pretty happy with where it was from? You know 2025 now to 2026. Yeah, we but most of them are you know kind of our our standard ones We did up we did make a few changes though We got you know, we added ankydian walkie, which are you know some bigger two-way schools just to you know Kind of give us some you know a help out our jv program now that we're 30 girls out You know so that they can get some more matches next sometimes our match if we don't They don't get a play because some of the teams don't have enough players Right So we added those two with ankydian walkie and then we added a fort Dodge St. Ed's Which is a always a really strong 1a team So I'm looking forward to having them on the schedule and you know and helping us But yeah, we we beat it up a little bit But we still have some of the same ones that we that we normally always play and and You know the North Polk the ballards and the fellas, you know We're always big numbers too which help us as well And so we kind of did a little bit of both this year Sean, what's that like having such a large group of individuals where you get a chance to see Obviously is some solid varsity, but then I mean the future looks good too. Just with numbers for sure Yeah, you know, I what you know when we switched to the fall. I you know, I'll be honest I wasn't sure what would happen. I you know with With volleyball being an extremely popular sport. I wasn't sure how our numbers would be and and they've increased both the years and You know, so I've been happy to see that and and I tell you what, you know Jv looks really good. You know, I think our jv has gotten better every single year out and I think this year is going to be Just the same thing. I think we've gotten stronger every year We win more jv meets than we did three or four years ago And I just think you know obviously it'll bowl well for the future of the program as well Well and speak another future of the program you get an opportunity to add somebody to staff that Well, he's got a little tennis background. Tell me about ask adding a jet ham into the staff Yeah, you know, it was it was that so if we had the issues we're still teaching this year So, you know, we had to he couldn't do both and then Coach Hammond said he'd he'd hop on board and that's Really nice to have somebody with that much experience where I can you know, I just turn him loose and he can go He can go get after it and you know, I don't he doesn't need anything from me and and You know, so that's been really a nice addition to you know Have somebody that you know, just have that much experience and coaching tennis It makes us a pretty Pretty strong one-two combination. I think as far as coaches go. Yeah, no question Sean is always. Thank you so much for some time. Best of luck as we get started and we'll run you down here in a couple of weeks All right. Thank you. You bet. That's boom girls tennis head coach. Sean a latimer joining us on coaches corner