HARTFORD – There are several decisions that a high school teacher and coach has to make on a daily basis that are for from easy.

But, when Prince Technical High School’s Mark Snyder first learned of the USTA’s No-Cut Tennis Teams, he didn’t think twice about giving it a shot.

"We had an internal policy of not cutting players already, so when I found out there was a structured program out there, it was a great fit," said Snyder, who is a teacher, coach and athletic director at the Hartford-based public school.

Snyder and longtime co-coach Bill Wilson annually have a roster of 30-plus players, which could be a challenge. Thanks to the team atmosphere created by the decision to not cut players, keeping 30-something players engaged at all times has been relatively simple.

"We have a great situation with some of our older and more experienced players," Snyder said. "They spend part of the time in practice working in drills with our newer players and that’s been very successful."

Prince Tech doesn’t have the luxury of on-campus courts, so every day the student-athletes ride the bus two miles to a four-court facility for practice and matches.

Snyder praised USTA New England Community Relations Manager Nikita Zaharov for being active beyond advocating for the no-cut program.

"One day Nikita came to work with our kids in practice and they really enjoyed that," the coach said. "What we’re seeing is a group of kids who are truly passionate about tennis and that’s what it’s really about. We have some kids who play in matches and are competing to win championships, and we have others who show up every day because they enjoy being here and want to get the workout."

One of those student-athletes who competed for a championship was perhaps the no-cut program’s greatest success story. And if he wasn’t the greatest success story, he is the undisputed most inspiring.

Juan Torres, a student who graduated in 2009, finished third in the league championships.

As a freshman, Torres was welcomed to the team in what Snyder initially thought would be a limited role.

That simply wasn’t the case, and Torres and friend and teammate Daniel Lopez worked out together during the season and outside of the season, until Torres became one of the team’s best and most consistent players.