It will be a year of change for the Becker boys tennis team.  Not only will they be competing in the Mississippi 8 Conference for the first time in years, but much of the coaching staff will also be new.  How it all meshes together will be up to Head Coach Hokan Bengtson, as he returns for his 20th season in charge of the program.

“I always think our team has a chance to compete for the top spot(s) in our conference, however it has been quite a while since we have played many of the M8 teams, so it will be fun to see if they have improved since we last played them,” Bengtson said. “Along with that, there are teams in the M8 Conference that we have never played in boys tennis (North Branch, St. Francis, Chisago Lakes) so that will add an element of excitement to our season.”

Helping Bengtson and the team navigate the 2021 season is a covey of new coaches, although many will be familiar faces.

Jason Dilly and Brent Scheideman will join the program as varsity assistants, while Steve Borst will replace Nate Bucher as the JV coach.

“Adding Jason, a former state tournament participant in 2012 and 2013, to our staff has been excellent, as he has a wealth of knowledge and has really begun to invest in our players” Bengtson said.  “Nate Bucher [former coach] has been a staple in our program, but he has moved on from boys tennis to work full time at Becker Baptist Church.  Nate is a great guy and good coach so he will be missed, but our new staff is excellent.” 

“Auggie Gorecki is a former college tennis player and will add a lot of experience to our Middle school program,” Bengtson said.  “Steve Borst absolutely loves the game of tennis and loves to learn and he will do a great job as our new JV coach.”

When it comes to the players on the team, Bengtson does have some experience to work with from the last time the team took to the court in 2019.

Five Bulldogs return to the team after lettering two years ago (last year’s season was canceled due to the pandemic), including Senior Wyatt Hiltner, who will serve as a Captain along with Junior Luke Bordson.  Sophomores Ryan Bengtson and Eli Scheideman also return, as does Freshman Zach Bengtson, to give Becker some experience to rely on in the early part of the season.

Approximately 30 boys total are out for the program, with many underclassmen expected to be counted on to serve in key roles for the team.

One factor that separated tennis from many other activities last year is that players were able to practice throughout the summer. 

“Our kids have played a lot of tennis in the last year, as the courts were one of the only places that were open the entire time from last March through the pandemic,” Bengtson said.  “Many kids have been out playing and working on their skills in those months when everything was shut down.”

Because of that experience, Bengtson expects his team to keep many of the same goals it has had in past seasons.  

“Our number one goal is to improve each match — that comes with a daily goal of changing our best,” Bengtson said.  “We always aim for 10 wins each year, with weather and other factors affecting our schedule each season — that will be an excellent goal for us again this year.”

Beyond the wins and losses, the coach also hopes his team learns life lessons as a result of their participation in the sport.

“The number one thing I hope kids gain from being in tennis is to learn to compete and battle through adversity,” Bengtson said.  “With Minnesota weather, COVID, and many other unpredictable things out of our control this year, this will be important.  We always talk about goals versus purpose.  Our goal is to win every time we step onto the court, but our purpose is much greater.”