I’m not going to lie to you about my athletic abilities — I have none. However, my mother has coached softball, basketball, volleyball and tennis, so I know a thing or two about sports.

That being said, even though my athletic abilities may be lacking, I definitely know good teamwork and positive attitudes when I see them. Saturday, the women’s tennis team played their season opener against the University of West Georgia on campus and triumphed in all matches 9-0. I attribute a large part of their success to their excellent communication and positive encouragement.

When I arrived at the courts for the matches, there were many family members and fellow athletes there to support the teams. There are four courts and with three doubles matches going on at once, it can be hard to focus on more than one game at a time. But at all points in time the fans cheered equally for each pair.

What I found most impressive about the matches was the way each individual team member encouraged her partner in between serves. Madison Patey and Morgan Jose, Avery King and Bruna Vieira and Olivera Ngouabeu and Natalia Barragan were the three doubles’ teams that played on Saturday.

Each doubles team would give each other high fives or exchange smiles with each other to keep the positive energy flowing. It was evident each team had worked together closely to be prepared for the match.

The pair I noticed the most was Olivera Ngouabeu and Natalia Barragan, because their match lasted longer than the other two doubles’ teams. At one point I could see Ngouabeu was beginning to get frustrated with her serves, but with the encouragement of Barragan and the teamwork they put forth, they won the match 8-4. I know it takes a great deal of skill and discipline to be an athlete, but I think the positive attitudes of teammates can push you to a higher level of excellence.