Ball State University men's tennis coach Bill Richards goes beyond the big picture when looking at his team.
To him, his team is just 12 guys looking to progress their games throughout the season.
'Tennis is an individual sport made into a team game,' Richards said. 'You have to take each individual and evaluate them in a game to address things.'
Coming off an opening season loss Sunday at No. 47 Northwestern University, Richards knows improvements as a team are going to be the product of individuals.
'Everyone is at a different level right now,' Richards said. 'There is no substitute for everyday practice to get back to the top level. Everyone is working hard though, so hopefully our performance reflects that.'
The team looks to rebound from its earlier loss as it hosts the University of Dayton and Valparaiso University in a doubleheader today at 2 p.m.
With back-to-back matches, Richards knows he will have some guys stepping in to get match time.
'My hope is to split up the games and get all 12 guys some match time,' Richards said. 'Nothing is final, but I really want everyone to get some experience.'
With such a young team (no seniors, three juniors), Richards tries to focus more on having his guys individually prepared than prepping for his opponents.
'In match play everyone has their own style,' Richards said. 'It is more about being fundamentally sound so you have no weaknesses.'
Richards' biggest problem is a coach's favorite to have.
'We have tremendous depth on the team which is the reason to give opportunities,' Richards said. 'The tough part is balancing the matches. You want playing time for everyone, but you don't want to cut the line too thin. Then you put yourself in the position where you make it too difficult playing others.'
Even in an individual's game, it's the wins for the team that count.
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