By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
If the old saying, &#8220practice makes perfect” is true, the T.R. Miller Tigers tennis team should be in store for quite a season.
The problem for the Tigers is practice is all they have been able to do so far.
Three matches against W.S. Neal were cancelled when that school decided not to field a team this spring. A match against Opp was rained out. Another match against Greenville was postponed due to exam week at Greenville.
Match competition is not around the corner either. T.R. Miller is not slated to begin play for another nine days due to spring break at the school this week. The first match is now not until March 27 when the Tigers host Opp at 4 p.m.
Smith has tried to come up with ways to keep his players challenged.
Smith has also had tournaments from within the team.
Once T.R. Miller returns from spring break, it will go from one extreme to another. The Tigers will play three matches in four days and all seven of their regular season matches in 16 days.
The Alabama High School Athletic Association requires teams to have participated in four regular season matches in order to be eligible for sectional competition. While T.R. Miller has some cushion in that area with seven current dates, Smith is leery of any additional snags in the schedule.
we've had so far.”
Smith is also concerned some of the teams his squad faces will not have full teams.
them. We've got two matches against Greenville and they're just restarting their program. I don't know what their numbers situation is,” said Smith. &#8220We could have a situation where we have to play half our boys or girls in one match and the other half in another match.”