(by Don Meador)
The Allen County-Scottsville High School tennis program will be under the leadership of Abigail Stamps Collins this spring. Collins is no stranger to the tennis program as AC-SH, having swung a racket for the Lady Patriots for six years.
Collins was a familiar face for the AC-S squad until her graduation in 2021. She would continue investing in the game at the collegiate level and eventually transition from player to coach.
“I have played tennis since I was in the fifth grade,” Collins explained. “After high school, I continued my tennis career at Transylvania University. I have also done some teaching and training at a small tennis facility in Lexington. I worked with kids from age six and also taught some adult classes. I have been very active in tennis.”
Stepping into the leadership role of an up-and-coming sport, Collins envisions the Lady Patriot and Patriot program becoming successful not only on the court now but also preparing players for college opportunities.
“I’m interested in seeing the AC-S program thrive and grow,” Collins shared, adding that she can help AC-S players reach the next level. “My hope is to help more kids get to go and play college tennis. College tennis is so much different than college tennis so if you don’t start from a young age, you don’t get that opportunity.”
Despite being away at college, Collins has followed her former team to a degree.
“I am familiar with the girls on the team but a little less familiar with the boys,” Collins said. “I do know that we do have a flourishing team and several players that are hopeful to make it to state.”
This week, Collins started preparing for the season with open courts---an opportunity for any middle school or high school student to come out and get a feel for the sport.
“I will be seeing who is interested,” Collins added. “I hope we have a lot of kids come out and I hope to see some big things for this program. I want them to get excited about playing tennis.”
While rosters are yet to be determined, both the Lady Patriots and Patriots are expected to have several returning players. Expected returnees include Lady Patriot seniors Kennedy Carter, Allison Ford, Danica Harmon, and Georgie Tabor alongside Patriot senior James Fisher. The Patriots have three underclassmen who played last year while the Lady Patriots feature 10 from last year’s squad.