Players come and go, but success seems to return year after year for Roosevelt's soft tennis program.

The girls team retained its O'ahu Interscholastic Association title this year, making it the eighth girls title in coach Gary Okada's 26 years at the school. His boys teams, last year's OIA champion, has won seven titles and Okada attributes his program's success to alumni who return and help.

"I get a lot of students that play who come back and help," Okada said. "Each year we have a number of people coming to help out when they have time.

"Each year we have new people coming out to try to play. We've been pretty lucky to have students come out and try to play."

Okada did have some luck with his newcomers this year. Several key players graduated and Okada turned to different players in a sport similar to tennis — though played with a lighter racquet and a squishy rubber ball in a doubles format. Scoring is first to five games with just one set. During the regular season, match play pits three teams from each school against each other.

The sport originated in Japan and the OIA is the only league in the state to sanction the sport. Roosevelt defeated McKinley, 2-1, for the girls title Oct. 6. The Kaiser boys swept Roosevelt, 3-0, for the program's fifth title since 2000.

"They (newcomers) were really important," Okada said. "We had really good depth so a lot of people had opportunities to play. Our strength was our bottom (of the lineup). Our top was really good. Overall, everybody played really well so it helped us win as a team."

Returnees helped guide the newcomers along — a learning experience for both.

"It was a major loss losing a lot of our starters," senior Louise To said. "But we knew we had to practice over and work with the new people and push them to work as hard as they can.

"They learn new stuff and we learn how to teach."

To and sophomore Gabriella Fortunato were the Rough Riders' top duo this season. They were seeded first at Saturday's OIA East championships, but lost in the finals to third-seeded Irene Ma and Yolette Quach of McKinley, 5-2. Fortunato and To were one of four Roosevelt teams that advanced to the quarterfinals.

Semifinalists from the East and West championships will meet in Saturday's OIA championships.

"Sometimes, you get so caught up in the emotions of the game, you can't concentrate," To said. "It's OK, we can always get it back. Even though you lose, you have to have good sportsmanship and say you can get it back."

Fortunato and To took different paths before meeting on the court. Fortunato, a sophomore, has been playing tennis for seven years, while To took up soft tennis first in high school.

"We're much better this year than last year because we've grown a little bit," said Fortunato, who's playing her second season with To. "We're just more experienced this year."

Some critics say soft tennis hurts the technique of tennis players. To disagreed and nearly all Rough Riders who play soft tennis, play tennis in the spring for Okada.

"It (soft tennis) helps with the strokes better," To said. "For me it does, for other people it doesn't."

Fortunato said soft tennis helps with her footwork since the ball bounces differently. Okada points out the lighter racquet makes it easier for newcomers to swing and eventually adapt to regular tennis.

"If you practice the right way, you improve your strokes a lot," Okada said.

Reach Stanley Lee at sktlee@honoluluadvertiser.com.