I am entering my 22nd year as Varsity Head Boys Tennis Coach. I am humbled to be accepting this position and have the experience, passion and determination to build this program. As a graduate of UW-Whitewater with a degree in Physical Education, I was a dual sport athlete in Tennis and Softball. I spent 25 years at Warhawk Tennis Camps where I first learned how to teach and coach from the best coaches in the state. I spent 21 years as the Head Boys and Girls Tennis coach at Delavan-Darien School District and won 8 conference team championships, one state doubles championship, and qualified the first girls doubles team after 38 years. Additionally, I competed for the USTA for 23 years and understand the game from a players perspective and the mental challenges that come with the sport.
Success in sporting programs begin with building the culture of your program and lies in the heart of your feeder programs. Within the three years I have been at Sun Prairie, I have started a tennis academy for players 7th-12th grade and co-direct the Sun Prairie Tennis Association which serves students ages 5-12. The next step is to begin a middle school program this May to provide more opportunities for students to play and gain confidence in their game. I cannot leave out that Coach Patrick Anderson and Coach Haley Rohloff have been a big part of our tennis programs here in Sun Prairie. You can find all three of us hanging out on the courts for most of our summer. We all share the same passion and vision of growing the game. Jacob Rodgers also joined us in a few sessions over the summer and he was a volunteer coach last season for the boys. We are fortunate to have a handful of talented coaches in the Sun Prairie School District.
I look forward to meeting the players and am thrilled to be back on the courts this spring. My goals are to meet all the players and develop routines in the program.. It is also important to learn how players handle pressure and stress on the courts so we can begin our mental toughness training. I am aware of the fact that we have lost half the varsity squad from last season, therefore rebuilding the lineup and program will be important as well as recruiting.
