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07/18/2023 12:02 PMLibby Rogers loved playing the game of tennis with her family and friends throughout her childhood, and the ability to bond with others through the volleys, balls and baselines aided her quite well over the course of her stellar career with the Hand girls’ tennis team.
Libby grew up playing several sports in her formative years and took to the tennis court at the age of 4. In 2023, with her No. 1 doubles partner sophomore Ella Helfrich, Libby (a co-captain for Hand) and Helfrich went 21-4 on the season as a duo–making the All-SCC Team and reaching the second round of the State Open Tournament–and helped Hand claim its second Class M state crown in three campaigns after being a runner-up in 2022. Libby wraps up her Tigers’ tenure with a remarkable record of 56-12 in being part of a tandem of state title-clad clubs.
“When I was younger, my friends played tennis and I stuck with them. Once I joined the team at Hand, I fell in love with the game on a whole other level,” says Libby, who also played field hockey for the Tigers. “Earning All-SCC was an incredible achievement and I was very proud of it. The whole year, Ella and I said to each other that if we did not win anything else, we wanted to make the All-SCC Team. Being able to have different coaches and learning new skills from different people and coaches has helped me a lot.”
In his lengthy experience as a coach, Hand girls’ tennis Head Coach John Gage has crossed paths with few who can even match, much less surpass, Libby’s unbridled passion for the program and the sport–fueling both his and her fires to send her off in style with a state championship in 2023.
“In almost 30 years of teaching high school students, I am hard pressed to think of someone who is as passionate, dedicated, and all in with her heart and soul as Libby Rogers is to the Hand tennis team,” says Gage. “A consistent, dependable tennis player on the court, she was just as valuable off the court as a senior captain–organizing fundraisers, merchandise, and all of the many little things that have to happen behind the scenes in order for a team to be successful. I wanted so badly to win our state title rematch against Stonington, but I think Libby wanted it more. She was such a huge part of the team and she really left her mark on our program; future captains have big shoes to fill.”
On the state title win, Libby further details that a regular-season loss to the Tigers’ top Class M state rivals just fueled Hand’s fire even further to garner the biggest measure of revenge and beat the Bears when it mattered the most.
“Winning the state title was amazing. We played them earlier in the year and lost, and so I told Coach Gage that we would not lose to them if we played them again,” Libby says. “Especially as a captain, I could not be more proud of what we did as a team; it was an incredible feeling.”
While being a three-year doubles veteran with Hand, Libby saw her skills strengthen while working alongside a court cohort in serving up sensational swats across the net with terrific tenacity.
“I have not only seen progression in myself, but my game has gotten better,” says Libby. “In my junior year, I was still a consistent player and became more aggressive both at the net and along the baseline. My serve got much better this year, and I got better with finishing off points. It has been a cool progression to look at and notice.”
Still, even though it can be pressure-packed by sharing the spotlight with someone else, Libby and Helfrich forged an even greater friendship in being emotional and spiritual support figures for one another.
“It is fun when after you win a point, you are able to turn to your partner and celebrate,” Libby says. “It was cool to enjoy a great season with Ella. It can be tough when you are not playing great, or your partner is not, and it is your job to help build them up. Yet once you get to know your partner, it becomes easier to deal with.”
Helfrich was not the lone companion Libby captured during her three seasons with the Tigers, as she was additionally guided by a tandem of top-notch mentors in her coaches in Kitty Palmer and Gage.
“I gained so many friends here through the tennis team,” says Libby. “The team was great, and we won the state title twice. It was also a great experience to play right away when I came in as a sophomore after the COVID year. Kitty Palmer was a great coach, and Coach Gage is also an amazing person and coach. My friends and teammates had a huge impact on me, and it made me more acclimated to playing on a team. It was a great place to be and a time of year I always looked forward to as a fun environment.”