Isa Bringas: Player of the Year
On Jan. 4, sophomore Isa Bringas was announced as the Daily Breeze Girls Tennis Player of the Year, a title typically reserved for upperclassmen. As well as covering local news and sports in the South Bay area, the Daily Breeze annually identifies one high school student located in the South Bay as Player of the Year for each sport. In addition to receiving this title in the Daily Breeze article, Bringas also received a plaque for winning most valuable player for her team, and a certificate for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). The process for earning this title differs across sports, but this season, Peninsula’s girls varsity tennis team advanced to the CIF Open Division finals, making each individual member of the team a contender for the title. After the finals, Daily Breeze contacted girls tennis coach Mike Hoeger in search of his top player. Daily Breeze also took into account Bringas’ win at the Bay League individual tournament on Oct. 27 to Oct. 28 with a record of 32-6. At this tournament, South Bay athletes chosen from Palos Verdes Peninsula High School, Palos Verdes High School, Redondo Union High School, Mira Costa High School, Santa Monica High School and Culver City High School competed in an effort to advance to the CIF Southern Section individual competition. Winning the Bay League individual tournament signified that Bringas was one of the best players in the area, as she beat the other athletes selected from these schools, which further narrowed the search for a player (Daily Breeze).
Before Bringas started playing competitively, she first discovered her passion for tennis when she took her first private lesson in 2013. Before this, she experimented with dancing, ice skating and gymnastics, but connected most with tennis because she found it to be most enjoyable and liked how she could play both on a team or as an individual. When Bringas was 10 years old, she began to play tennis competitively through the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and later joined the varsity girls tennis team during her freshman year. On this team, she has grown closer to sophomore Kayden Roxas, who admires Bringas’ character both on and off the court.
“Isa is one of the most hardworking people I know,” Roxas said. “She is always smiling on the court [even if] she is losing, and it is something I really admire. I was really happy for her [when I found out she was selected] because she is one of the most deserving people in the world, and she really worked hard for this accomplishment.”
During her freshman year, Bringas played doubles with another teammate, senior Cydney Yamamoto. Doubles refers to when two teams of two players are paired against each other, while singles is when two individual players play against each other. This year, Bringas found herself playing singles as a replacement for injured players on the team. By the end of the season, she was no longer considered a substitute, as the team had confidence in her abilities as a singles player. Although there was a lot of pressure involved with being moved up to singles, Bringas appreciates how there is always something to learn while playing tennis.
“Tennis definitely has [taught me] a lot of life lessons and is a sport that can be really stressful at times,” Bringas said. “[However, tennis] is also really fun when you enjoy it and play well. [I get to spend] a lot of time learning more about myself and how I handle myself on the court when I get frustrated, [which] plays into other parts of life too.”
In the month following her win in the Bay League individual tournament, Bringas sprained her wrist after falling during another individual tournament. This occurred before the CIF sectional tournament on Nov. 21 to Nov. 22, which included individual players from different schools competing against each other. After some time spent in recovery receiving treatment from a physical therapist and chiropractor, Bringas continued to compete in the tournament, where she pulled off a win in the first round and advanced to the CIF-Southern Section individual quarter finals, which were held on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2. Despite Bringas’ loss of six to seven and four to six in a close match, Hoeger is proud of Bringas’ accomplishments and looks forward to witnessing what lies in her future.
“Off the court, Isa is very personable, fun and inquisitive, all of which belies her competitive spirit,” Hoeger said. “[When she was officially selected Player of the Year,] I was happy. I predict she will get stronger and hit harder going into her junior year.”
