Instead of being the ones on the court, some of the tennis players made a trip to be in the stands instead — at the famed U.S. Open. Every four years, girls and boys head tennis coach Chris Bellar gives current and previous tennis players the opportunity to travel to New York City to watch the tournament.

“I would definitely recommend going to New York,” senior Colt Shobe said. “Travel as much as you can, and New York was awesome and a great opportunity.”

Seniors Sabrina Bellar, Matthew Monsion, Colt Shobe and Jera Wolke; sophomore Karlee Osner; and freshman Colby Osner made the journey to New York this year. They left on Sept. 1 and returned Sept. 5.

“I was excited for the trip,” Wolke said. “I’d never been to a big city before, so I was excited for all of the new experiences.”

    The group visited the 9/11 memorial, the Statue of Liberty, Chinatown, Staten Island, Times Square, the Museum of Natural History and Central Park, and they watched a performance on Broadway, all on top of watching the U.S. Open matches.

    “Getting to see ‘Phantom of the Opera’ on Broadway was amazing,” Wolke said. “We sat in the front row, so we could see in the orchestra pit too. The actors were great, and it was really crazy because they were like four feet from us.”

This is the third trip Mr. Bellar has helped organize.

“I love going to New York,” Mr. Bellar said. “You get to experience all types of cultures, foods and skin tones, and you get to learn the history of immigration and our ancestors. All of the experiences you get are just fantastic, and getting to watch the U.S. Open matches was just extra coolness.”