Country Day's Blake Burstein

Thanks to some great cooperation from Mother Nature - which wasn't the case back in the spring - boys tennis teams from around the state had a great day to get things started, as practices kicked off Wednesday afternoon.

For most coaches, they know the main guys coming back. But there are always a few surprises. Which kids put in the extra work in the offseason? Which school is this USTA phenom going to play at? For the most part, some of these questions were answered as the teams got together Wednesday.

The unfortunate thing about tennis is that because of weather concerns later in the season, it's imperative that coaches take advantage of the earlier portion of the season (August and early September) to schedule tournaments. That means that there's little preparation time to set lineups.

Seaholm's Zaven Dadian

That was the case for Cranbrook coach Jeff Etterbeek, who had his team challenging on Day 1. He's got a scrimmage scheduled for the weekend and heads up north to play in a tournament next weekend. Little time to waste.

I was able to make it out to Cranbrook, Seaholm and Country Day yesterday. The courts were jam packed with players. Country Day had more than 40 players out for the team - which won the Division 3 state title last season. No doubt the team will again be a favorite to win a state championship.
Both Seaholm and Cranbrook had great numbers as well. The Maples had more than 30 players on the courts. Cranbrook's were split - some on the main courts and some on the back courts - so it was tough to get an exact number. But all three schools looked strong.
I'm currently working on my previews. Hopefully after these first three days, and a couple more early next week, the information will begin pouring in. I'll keep everyone in touch with what's happening and when my preview package will appear on MIPrepZone.