Finished Before She Starts

Palisades’ Top Tennis Player Quits One Night Before Season Opener

If the Palisades High girls tennis team is to become No. 1 in the City this season, it will have to do so without its No. 1 player. On the eve of the Dolphins’ first match sophomore Olivia Colman informed Coach Bud Kling that she had dropped out of school to enroll in an independent study program. “I made the decision [to leave Palisades] because I have a spinal condition that causes my hamstrings to tighten up and going to school all day was too hard on my back,” said Colman, who compiled a 23-3 singles record as a freshman last fall. “I loved being on the team last year. Everyone was really nice, Coach Kling was very helpful and I’m glad I did it. My goal right now is to play national tournaments and be ranked in the top 10 in the 18s.” Kling said he was never made aware of Colman’s spinal condition nor did she tell any of her teammates about it. “I think it’s just another excuse she’s using for simply not wanting to play for us,” said Kling, who has coached the Pali girls to 12 City titles. “She could’ve done everything she’s doing now–the yoga, the massage therapy, the physical fitness, the private lessons, even the independent study curriculum–and still been part of our program. Her mom also claimed none of the classes Olivia took last year will count towards college but I confirmed through our counseling office that every class was NCAA certified except for science. “High school tennis provides a unique environment that you don’t get to experience anywhere else,” Kling continued. “It’s unfortunate that after all the concessions we made Olivia doesn’t feel any accountability or obligation to the team.” Kling had beefed up Pali’s nonleague schedule in an effort to provide more challenging competition for his top player, but without her the Dolphins were routed by Mira Costa 17-1, then defeated soundly by Malibu, 12-6, three days later. With Coleman, a 15-year-old currently ranked 38th in Southern California in the 16s and 70th in the 18s, the Dolphins were the clear-cut favorite to win their first City title in six years. Without her, the rest of the players know they must pick up the slack in order to achieve their goal. “We’re quite disappointed because we are really determined to win City this year and now all of a sudden we don’t have our best player,” Pali co-captain Brittany O’Neil said. “Olivia was given a lot of freedom to do her own thing. Coach Kling didn’t make her come to practice and we were all fine with that. Not a single player was resentful. We were happy to have her for the matches. We’d love for her to come back but she’s gone so we just have to make the best of it.” Palisades opens defense of its Western League championship at Westchester today.