This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
09/27/2023 07:06 AMA veteran of the sport, Laila Haraj-Sai knows full well that there is another tier of preparation on multiple facets of the body and spirit when it comes to settling into collegiate tennis. Luckily, she left an indelible impact on one of the more prominent programs in the state of Connecticut for a high school court career that has served her well.
Laila, a Class of 2023 Hand graduate, rapidly moved her way up the singles ladder for the Tigers’ girls’ tennis team, progressing from No. 3 singles as a sophomore in 2021 to the top solo slot her senior year this past spring. Along the way, she appeared in three state finals with Hand, winning two of them, and was named to both the All-SCC and New Haven Register All-Area Team for her swan song senior season as a captain. Laila, now a freshman at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, is currently on the Lyons’ women’s tennis team as a competitor.
“Tennis is a very individual sport with team aspects. Your match counts as a match point for the entire team, and I like being in charge of my own fate,” says Laila. “A big part of my success has just been loving the sport. You have to love it in order to have the will to win. Getting the right rest and amount of practice are also essential, too. You still have to be determined to win. Being disciplined is also a big part of being successful for the sport, especially in college.”
Laila had to endure some growing pains in terms of facing athletic adversaries when first stepping between the baselines on the high school scene. However, that experience just sharpened her mind more with a competitive blade that allowed her to slice through court competitors.
“At the start of high school, I was not used to playing with others and would be tough on myself and would get in a bad headspace,” Laila says. “It was about honing in and being more self-determined, and it showed me how in tune with yourself you really have to be. As a college freshman, you have to have mental toughness against more experienced players.”
The college game has unleashed a whole new class of competitors from all across the country for Laila. While the support system around her may be smaller by virtue of quantity, the quality of morale boost is still quite potent.
“The opponents I go against have been the biggest change from high school to college, because you are playing against people all across the country,” Laila says. “The social aspect is also different. In college, the players come here to win, and so you have to switch your mindset to a more competitive one. It is a smaller team here compared to Hand, but I have really bonded with the players here. We are determined to make a mark against the tougher teams. But the competitive level and the bonds with teammates have been the biggest changes for me.”
In his short stint as Laila’s head coach at Hand, John Gage recalls that it was a switch that clicked inside her mind that allowed her to light the way to unlocking a whole new untapped potential.
“Of the many ways in which Laila improved during my two seasons of coaching her, her mental game is the one of which we are most proud,” says Gage. “After struggling with these aspects of her game during her junior year, she worked with her coach during the offseason, not only on her tennis skills, but more importantly on her mental skills, and that made a big difference for her during her senior season.”
While holding the No. 1 singles designation, the stakes can be high enough, much less competing in arguably one of the best conferences in the state in terms of the talent pool. Yet Gage heaps great praise upon Laila for handling it with aplomb and a composure that drove her to redemption and championship triumph for her team.
“At No. 1 singles, Laila had to play the toughest players in the conference and, even in losses, she held her composure, stayed positive, and focused on the task at hand. I am incredibly proud of her growth in this area,” Gage says. “After losing to Grace Duggan of Stonington in May, Laila defeated her in straight sets at the state championship match in June and helped us secure the state title, and that is a memory I will always cherish. I truly believe that it was her mental fortitude that won the match for her and us.”
On that fateful and memorable championship day for the Tigers, Laila felt a great sense of satisfaction and redemption for not only herself, but also her team, as she concluded her Hand career by helping the Tigers finally tame the Bears.
“That was one of my favorite days in high school tennis. We had played them so many times the last two years, and it was tough to have three losses to them,” Laila says. “But we knew we all had nothing to lose at that point, and we put our hearts out there. I felt such a relief and regained my confidence when I won my match and we won the title.”
Regardless of the trajectory of her tennis tenure with Wheaton, Laila expresses that none of it would have been even a thought without her four seasons at Hand. She surrounded herself with great people and encouraging coaches that only brought out the best in Laila as an athlete and individual.
“The team at Hand made me love the sport even more. I grew up with my teammates, because I spent time 24-7 with them,” says Laila. “Coach Palmer [former Hand Head Coach Kitty Palmer] and Coach Gage made me love the sport even more and pushed me to be a better player and truly grow up as a person. I would not be playing tennis in college without my time there. I am so thankful to be on that close-knit team.”