Chapter 12 – Teammates on the School Team
Unfortunately, Gao Wen and McDonald’s batting practice couldn’t continue for long. The arrival of assistant coach Grant Chen marked the end of their “world of two.” Only then did they recall—
They had come to the court early today to prepare for winter training.
“Hey, guys, don’t work too hard, or you’ll get us a warning letter from the association,” Grant teased with a smile as he looked at the two young men drenched in sweat. Then, he clapped his hands briskly. “The training equipment isn’t set up yet; we need to hurry. I just saw Coach buying coffee at Starbucks on my way here.”
The practice had to come to a halt temporarily. Gao Wen and McDonald quickly shifted gears and started to get busy with their tasks.
Seeing this, Grant didn’t stand idly by nor ask about what had happened earlier that morning. Instead, he joined them in their work.
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has always been one of the NCAA’s traditional athletic powerhouses. Sports such as football, basketball, and swimming have storied histories, and tennis is no exception.
Legendary players like Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, who were early inductees into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, hailed from UCLA’s Bruins team. They defined an entire era and elevated professional tennis to unprecedented heights, leaving indelible marks in the annals of history.
In NCAA competitions, the Bruins have historically had a strong men’s team but a relatively weaker women’s team. The women’s team has only won one national championship, in 2008, while the men’s team has claimed 16 NCAA national team titles, ranking third behind the University of Southern California (USC) and Stanford University in terms of total championships.
UCLA men’s tennis is currently led by head coach Billy Martin, who joined the Bruins as an assistant coach in 1984 and became head coach in 1994. This year marks his 20th year as the head coach.
In 2005, Martin became the third coach in UCLA history to be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame. That same year, he led the team to its best performance.
In that year’s NCAA championship, the Bruins faced Baylor University for the second consecutive year in the team finals.
The previous year, Baylor had swept UCLA 4–0 to claim the title and went on to set the second-longest winning streak in NCAA history with 57 consecutive team match wins. By 2005, Baylor was once again undefeated and entered the championship match as the top seed.
Facing such a formidable opponent, and the same team that had defeated them so soundly the previous year, UCLA staged an incredible revenge match. They narrowly defeated Baylor 4–3 to win the national championship.
It was the Bruins’ first NCAA team title in 20 years, their last having been in 1984.
Last year, under Billy Martin’s leadership, the Bruins made it back to the NCAA national championship final for the first time since 2005. Their opponents was the University of Virginia, who was making its third consecutive appearance in the final. The two teams engaged in a fierce battle.
In the end, Virginia edged out UCLA 4–3 to claim the championship.
Although the Bruins narrowly missed out on their 17th national team title last season, the current roster remains incredibly strong. They boast two top-tier players at their peak and several promising young talents, making them a formidable contender.
With the spring season just two months away, the Bruins are once again among the championship favourites.
It’s worth noting that, situated in the immigrant-rich city of Los Angeles, the presence of Asian faces on the tennis team has become quite common.
Assistant coach Grant Chen and team manager Evan Lee are both of Chinese descent, while another team manager, David Vu, is of Vietnamese descent.
Among the players, aside from McDonald and Gao Wen, there is one Indian player, one Chinese player, and two Japanese players, along with several players from various Latin American countries. The team is incredibly diverse and vibrant, creating a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere during daily practice.
With Grant’s help, the training preparations were quickly wrapping up, and the players began to arrive one by one, greeting each other warmly and with familiarity.
“Hey, Marcos, why are you late today? Watch out—there are plenty of people eyeing your spot! This morning, McDonald and Gao Wen were secretly putting in extra practice.”
Marcos Giron had just stepped onto the court when he was greeted by a group of boisterous young men, teasing and laughing uproariously.
Lifting the brim of his cobalt-blue tennis cap slightly, the shadow revealed a pair of bright, confident eyes. His lips curled into a faint smile as he raised his chin slightly and responded nonchalantly, “Bring it on. I’m ready.”
He didn’t say much, yet his words exuded undeniable confidence.
“Ho-ho-ho! Ho-ho-ho!”
The group erupted into playful cheers, stomping their feet and clapping. Whistles cut through the commotion as the rowdy crowd enjoyed the fun—though in truth, Marcos wasn’t late at all, just as McDonald and Gao Wen weren’t really targeting Marcos with their extra practice.
A hint of exasperation flashed in Giron’s eyes, but he didn’t say much, seemingly used to his teammates’ playful banter.
Giron gave McDonald and Gao Wen a polite nod in acknowledgement before calmly heading off with his tennis bag to begin his routine preparation for the day’s training.
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