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07/12/2018 12:00 AMCaroline Baldwin recently finished her sophomore season with the Valley Regional girls’ tennis team after playing No. 1 doubles with senior captain Ellie Flynn. The duo turned in an excellent year that saw them post a record of 23-1 on their way to winning the championship in the Shoreline Conference Doubles Tournament. Caroline also plays for the Valley girls’ soccer squad and is a distance runner on the girls’ indoor track team.
Caroline says the best moment of her tennis career thus far came when she and Flynn won the Shoreline doubles title. After taking a tough loss in the conference final last season, Caroline and Flynn were determined to prove that they could make it back and get the victory this time.
“Definitely, winning Shorelines this year with my partner Ellie Flynn was my biggest achievement. At the beginning of the season, we put it as our primary goal,” says Caroline. “Last year, when we lost in the final, that was disappointing. So, it was like we got our revenge this year.”
Caroline believes that her synergy with Flynn on the court led to their success this season. It’s important to communicate in any team sport, but it’s especially important for the two members of a doubles team to communicate during a match.
“I think Ellie and I worked really well together through the season. We had a good system of communicating,” Caroline says. “We were really good covering for each other. We were able to finish out a lot of points during the tournament. I think that was why were so successful.”
Of course, Caroline felt happy about winning with Flynn. However, she feels that she’s gained so much more than a Shoreline Conference title from their two years of playing doubles together.
“I think I was lucky I was able to play with Ellie. She’s a great role model as a person and player,” says Caroline. “She makes me laugh on the court and off of it. It made it easier to be successful.”
After having conquered the Shoreline doubles circuit, Caroline may try her hand on the singles court next season. Caroline had the option to play singles this year, but after she and Flynn advanced to the conference final a year ago, Caroline wanted them to take another crack at it.
“This year, I had a choice. Because we were so successful last year, I chose to play doubles again this year,” she says. “I love playing doubles. Now that Ellie’s graduating, I might go for a singles spot. It will be a different experience.”
Head Coach Sally Riggio appreciates the dedication that Caroline brought to the Warriors. Riggio believes that Caroline and Flynn’s commitment to improving for each other’s sake played a big part in them claiming the Shoreline crown.
“Caroline is a fantastic girl in every way. She’s smart, funny, and a natural athlete,” Riggio says. “Caroline makes good shot selections to move opponents around and set herself and her partner up on the court. Caroline has a great sense of humor, but also is a great leader. She has all the characteristics you want a player to have.”
Caroline enjoys the atmosphere surrounding each one of her teams at Valley Regional and says that all of her teammates genuinely care for one another. Included in that mix are the tennis team’s captains—Emma Hunt Bauman and Flynn—who were always happy to help Caroline learn as much as she could.
“I love the Valley sports, because the teams are so close,” says Caroline, a Deep River resident. “The team captains for tennis, they taught us so much, and it made the sport so fun. I’m really lucky to have such great teammates.”
During the fall, Caroline plays soccer for the Warriors. She can play multiple spots on the pitch, but mostly sticks to the midfield. While Caroline enjoys competing alongside everyone on the squad, she has a particularly good rapport with Lauren Salbinski and Sam Calamari. The three athletes have played soccer together for several years, and they’ve fashioned their own plays to get the ball onto the attack.
“In soccer this year, I played a few different positions. I played wingback and center-mid, but mostly midfield,” Caroline says. “I love working with my teammates Lauren and Sam. We’ve played with each other since 10-U; basically, our whole lives. We have a lot of good one-two plays to get the ball over the top. That’s how we play together.”
Caroline believes that she owes a lot of her success on the tennis court to her mother Jennifer, her father Michael, and her grandfather David. Caroline’s father and grandfather introduced her to tennis, and they continue to play with her and her brother Kevin in doubles matches. Caroline also thanks Coach Riggio and former coach Erin Dayton for making her a better tennis player.
“I’d like to thank Coach Dayton, our coach from last year. I’d also like to thank Coach Riggio,” says Caroline. “When I heard she was our new coach, I was super excited. She knows so much about tennis, especially doubles tennis. She motivated me so much.”