Name: Alex Rothenberg

Sport: Boys Tennis

Grade: Sophomore

Team Record: 4-8

Position: First Singles

Rothenberg's Tennis Journey

Tennis is always on the forefront of Rothenberg's mind no matter if he is currently in season or if he is in his offseason.

“I have been playing tennis since sixth grade, and in eighth grade [I started] playing more competitively,” Rothenberg said. “Out of season, I am trying to play two times a week, sometimes three."

Rothenberg has a deep appreciation for tennis, as he enjoys the independence that comes with playing tennis in comparison to other sports.

“I like how [tennis] is an individual sport and you don’t really have anyone to blame but yourself," Rothenberg said. "In tennis there are so many opportunities to win/lose games and it is just a test of your endurance."

A Team with a Young Core and Lots of Potential

PV's tennis team, although young, is looking to make its mark this season. Rothenberg thinks very highly of his team and believes it can compete despite relying on many underclassmen.

“As a team we have been performing well, and we are so young that I feel like we have so much room to grow these next two years," Rothenberg said.

Although he is just a sophomore, Rothenberg has leadership qualities that coach Ken DelSanto believes will serve him well in the future.

"Alex has shown tremendous improvement on his mental game, staying calm, cool, and collected while being involved in these intense matches," DelSanto said, "He holds himself to a very high regard on and off the court and will prove to be a great leader at some point in his career."

2021 Performance

At the beginning of the season, Rothenberg had very high hopes.

“I was definitely excited to play because I was going to be a singles player," Rothenberg said. “It has been really nice winning some games off these really good players and being able to compete.”

Although Rothenberg was individually knocked out of the county tournament, he has been able to contribute to several team victories for Pascack Valley.

Overcoming Limitations

The cancellation of the spring sports season in 2020 due to COVID-19 left Rothenberg unable to play tennis in his freshman year at PV. However, Rothenberg did not let the pandemic stop his tennis journey from continuing.

“[Over the pandemic], I really took the opportunity to play a lot over the summer and really improve my game," Rothenberg said.