Stacy Haines has always been known as the kind of coach that will do anything to promote the success of his players and his girls tennis team at Desert View High School.
But Haines doesn't have to say a word to improve the image of Darlane Santa Cruz. She does that herself on the court, in the classroom and even online.
Santa Cruz, the Jaguars' No. 1 singles player, writes a monthly column for juniortennis.com. In her latest installment, she points out that "High school tennis rules! Don't focus on your game so much that you miss the chance to be part of a team."
Santa Cruz is the latest up-and-coming star to come out of Desert View.
The first was Claudia Meza, whose rise from a troubled youth in Las Vegas to a highly successful college career at Grand Canyon and now Stetson University in Florida was chronicled last year in The New York Times.
Last season it was Maria Canizales, who thanks to the exposure that Meza brought to the program, is now playing at San Francisco State University.
"It's one wave built on another," said Haines, in his 10th year with the team.
Now it's Santa Cruz, a 5-foot-8-inch senior who went 11-5 last season as the Jaguars' No. 3 singles player. She is entertaining offers from Division I, II and NAIA schools.
Thanks to her 3.63 grade point average, Santa Cruz has already received merit scholarships from Centenary College in Louisiana and Green Mountain College in Vermont.
None of this was in the cards when Santa Cruz first picked up a racket as a freshman. That's because the racket was for badminton, and it was in gym class.
After she learned that badminton, a varsity sport at some schools in Phoenix, wasn't offered, "I figured (tennis) was the closest thing."
It wasn't until her sophomore year, she said, that she found someone who knew Haines. She joined the team that year, playing on the junior varsity, and the transition from a volleyball, basketball and track athlete her freshman year was almost instantaneous.
"Once she came out and saw it, I was surprised, because I usually have to convince kids to change sports," Haines said. "She went right at it."
Haines said Santa Cruz possesses the same kind of work ethic as Meza and Canizales, whom he says phone and e-mail each other regularly. The three train together during holiday breaks and in the summer.
"She's helped me so much," Santa Cruz said of Meza. "Her history, and everything she comes from has inspired me."
Though Santa Cruz urged in her column to play high school tennis because of its team aspect, one of the things she says she enjoys the most about the sport is its individuality.
"You're on the court and it's all about you," she said. "You can't
blame anyone but yourself. In basketball, if the forward or the
point guard aren't doing their job, there's nothing you can do about
it."
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