Senior Lilly Hildebrand has been selected as Clover Hill’s March Athlete of the Month. She is in her first year playing womens tennis for the Cavaliers, and is honored to receive the award after being nominated by coach Fahim Rahman.
“It feels nice to be recognized for all the effort I put into being kind to people and uplifting people,” Hildebrand said.
While being new to the sport, she was still able to achieve this recognition through her consistent effort and attitude.
“I just always put in my best effort with everything that I am doing. I try to have a positive attitude no matter what the score says, and always try to uplift my teammates,” Hildebrand said.
Her teammates on the tennis squad have been a big help in her earning this award as they support each other on and off the court.
“We all encourage each other all the time. If you are playing doubles it’s a two person job, you have to rely on the other person and trust them,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand’s other source of support this season has been from coach Rahman, who has invested his time to develop her as a player.
“He spent time helping me develop the skills needed, and letting me know that he believes in me and my ability to grow,” Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand has been more motivated since winning Athlete of the Month to finish her senior season.
“My motivation for the rest of the year is to finish it out and have fun doing it and trying my best,” Hildebrand said.
She plans on pursuing tennis after graduation as a way to stay busy and as a hobby.
“I definitely see myself continuing it throughout my life because it’s something that I feel like is easy to do as you get older so I’m glad I did it early on so I can get good at it,” Hildebrand said.
She gives lots of credit to her team in supporting her, and cherishes the bonds she has made while playing.
“I shout out the whole team, they are all great, they are welcoming, inviting, and [I have] great friendships because of it. I feel like we are a pretty close knit group,” Hildebrand said.
