ROCKFORD ATHLETICS I HOME OF THE RAMS

The Rockford Rams varsity tennis team opened OK Red conference play with a match that was about much more than tennis. For the 13th consecutive year, Rockford and Grandville came together for their annual “Be Nice” match, an event designed to bring awareness to mental health and suicide prevention while reminding everyone that we all have a responsibility to look out for one another. The Be Nice initiative is built around four simple but incredibly powerful words: NOTICE. INVITE. CHALLENGE. EMPOWER. Four words that could potentially save a life. The Rams play tennis to compete. They play to have fun. They play to win. But on this night, the message was even bigger than the sport: We are in this together, and we will always be there for one another. The annual match against the Grandville Bulldogs is also one the Rams desperately want to win. There are tight coaching ties between the two programs and a rich family history connecting the players, coaches, and families. There is tremendous respect between the schools, but once the match begins, both teams are there to compete. And Grandville came ready. The Bulldogs entered the match with a senior-laden lineup featuring players with years of varsity tennis experience. They are a team that knows how to compete, and the Rams knew from the start that they would have to earn every point. Rockford has also been working hard to establish its own identity this season. The Rams have been striving to play a style of tennis that makes their opponents uncomfortable, applying pressure, changing the rhythm of points, and forcing their opponents to earn everything. This one was going to be a battle. Adding another challenge was the weather. It was easily the windiest day of tennis the Rams have experienced all fall, creating difficult conditions for both teams. The wind changes everything. Serves move. Balls sail. Angles change. Players have to make adjustments with every point. Early in the match, the Bulldogs handled the conditions well. Grandville jumped out to early leads in several flights, and the Rams did not start as strongly as they would have liked. But rather than panic or abandon the game plan, Rockford stayed committed. The Rams stayed present. They stayed patient. They played point by point. And slowly, the momentum began to change. Rockford clawed its way back into sets and matches, finding its swings and becoming more comfortable in the difficult conditions. Once the Rams found their rhythm, they never looked back. What began as a challenging start turned into a decisive 9-1 Rockford victory. The Rams earned wins at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 singles while sweeping all six doubles flights, putting together a complete team performance in their first OK Red conference match. Singles Sets the Tone At No. 1 singles, senior Alex Moore got Rockford rolling with a strong 6-4, 6-3 victory over Grandville senior Evan Mann. Moore's ability to stay composed in the wind and dictate points gave the Rams an important early win. At No. 2 singles, junior Broderik Gee battled through a competitive match against Grandville senior Zayne Sorokin. Gee won the opening set 6-2 before closing out the second set 7-5 to earn another important victory for the Rams. At No. 4 singles, senior Noah Clark continued the Rockford singles success with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 victory over Grandville freshman Milo McRivette. Grandville earned its lone flight victory at No. 3 singles, where Ethan Zuidema defeated Rockford freshman Gavin Wurm 6-1, 6-0. But with three singles victories already on the board, the Rams turned their attention to the doubles courts. And they were just getting started. Rockford's doubles teams were outstanding, winning all six flights and demonstrating the depth, energy, and competitive spirit that has become a defining characteristic of this Rams team. At No. 1 doubles, Jayden Fudge and Ryan Stark controlled their match from the start, defeating Grandville's Logan Garcia and Nolan Sheridan 6-3, 6-2. The No. 2 doubles court produced the match of the night. Brady Gauthier and Bridger Wildern found themselves in an early hole after dropping the first set 2-6 to Grandville's Landon Nguyen and Will Bouwman. But instead of allowing the slow start to dictate the rest of the match, the Rams responded exactly as they have been learning to do all season. They stayed present. They trusted their game. They battled back. Gauthier and Wildern stormed back to take the second set 6-1, forcing a decisive third set. With the team victory still hanging in the balance, the Rams continued to fight for every point. They completed the comeback with a 7-5 third-set victory, sealing the match and providing perhaps the biggest moment of the night. At No. 3 doubles, Seth Bearly and Stephen Chien put together a steady 6-4, 6-3 victory over Grandville's Aiden Baker and Kobe Sterley. At No. 4 doubles, Chase Dzibowicz and Wenji Lastfogel handled the difficult conditions well, earning a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Gavin Bailey and Ben Weatherston. At No. 5 doubles, Julian Scott and Ethan Lund were equally impressive, cruising to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over James Courville and Evan Nguyen. The Rams completed the doubles sweep at No. 6 doubles, adding another victory to finish the night with an impressive 9-1 team score. More Than a Match The final score was certainly something the Rams could celebrate. Opening OK Red play with a 9-1 victory against a talented Grandville team was an important statement. But the scoreboard wasn't the most important part of the evening. That distinction belonged to the reason these two programs were together in the first place. The 13th annual Be Nice match is a reminder that athletics can be about something much bigger than winning and losing. It gives players an opportunity to use their platform to bring attention to mental health and suicide prevention and to remind one another that nobody should have to face difficult moments alone. NOTICE. INVITE. CHALLENGE. EMPOWER. Notice when someone may be struggling. Invite them into a conversation. Challenge the stigma surrounding mental health. Empower them to seek help and know that they are not alone. The Rams and Bulldogs may have been opponents for the evening, but they were teammates in something much bigger. That is what makes this match so special. There is a fierce competitive spirit between Rockford and Grandville. There are coaching connections, family connections, years of history and plenty of reasons to want to win. But underneath all of that is respect. And on this night, that respect was on full display. The Rams showed resilience when things didn't start their way. They battled through difficult conditions. They stayed connected to one another. They trusted the process and played point by point. And eventually, the scoreboard reflected what happened on the courts. Rockford 9. Grandville 1. But the bigger victory was the reminder that we don't compete alone. We don't struggle alone. And we don't have to face life's challenges alone. We are in this together. We will always be there for one another. That's the message of the Be Nice match. And that message will always be bigger than tennis.