BOND PROPE~ TEAM+----' Some said the desire to win and the devotion to train hard made a good team. Others said individual members with a love of the game made the team. Still others, like freshman Bison tennis player Ryan Roberts, said strong friendships on and off the court were the key to greatness. "You'd have to have the bonds or else no one would care," Roberts said. "There wouldn't be any winning unless you had the bonds in the first place." Junior David Ferreira said the men's tennis team made an effort to bond as a group. "We get together," Ferreira said. "Obviously, like eating in the cafeteria, we're supposed to do that together. And when we're all warming up and getting our workouts at practice, we always do it as a group, like guys together!girls together. We try to do all our workouts as a team." In addition to the regular practices and competitions, bi-armual team gatherings, usually a barbecue or cookout, helped inspire camaraderie and a sense of unity within the team. "We get together and we talk," Roberts said. "Coach lDavid Elliott] talks with us. Ifs good to get together. I think teams need to." Ranking third out of four teams in the West Division, the Bisons finished the 2004 season with an overall record of 12-11. Two men on the team, Ferreira and junior Andrew Giron, earned All-GSC tennis honors. Ferreira completed the year with an 8-10 singles record while Giron compiled a 9-6 singles record. Both men competed together as Harding's No.1 doubles team, collecting a 6-10 record. While Elliot said he encouraged group bonding, that was not he main goal for the team. "The main thing is winning and representing Harding properly," Elliott said. "Thafsour focal point. In order to do that, you have to have team chemistry and good bonding, but you don't build your team around that. That's the byproduct of a good team." -BONNIE BOWLES 267 - MEN'S TENNIS
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