CT’s Cooper Helps Save Now Thriving Tennis Program

During the 2021-22 school year, Cooper was approached by then-athletic director, Sue Murphy, who broke the news to her that unless they found a new tennis coach, the program would be forced to fold. 

“She asked me if I wanted to coach and said, ‘What do you have to lose?’” Cooper recalled. 

So Cooper met with former assistant football coach Jack Kovach and decided to band together and each take on one team; Cooper the girls and Kovach the boys. 

Cooper played tennis as a teenager but had no previous tennis coaching experience. 

“I knew the game, but you don’t really know the game until you’ve coached,” she said. “So to prepare, I watched a lot of tennis, did a lot of YouTubing, attended a USTA workshop and made it work. I didn’t really have the terminology at first, but I had my skills.”

The first year served as a valuable learning experience for all, including many of the players, who were new to the game and still learning basics such as scoring and line calls. Cooper sat in the classroom with them, worked on drills, made them watch the game and taught them how to score.  

The team finished 8-3 in conference play during the spring, good for a three-way tie for second place. 

“They’re all having a ball. This team roots for each other, is learning skills together and they’ll even suggest matchups about who plays well with whom. None of them has missed a match, and they even come out on Sundays in the summer and play together,” Cooper said. 

Cooper says both Coach Korik and “rival” coach at Prince Tech, Jerome Grant, have been tremendous resources for her and her team and have also contributed to the team’s success. 

“Paul is super knowledgeable about tennis, and I’ve used him for a lot. And with Prince Tech, we play them twice a year, but it’s very friendly. We always try to help each other out with scoring and making sure everyone is having a good time,” Cooper said. 

Cooper’s investment and passion for the sport continues to grow, and she plans to keep building something great at Platt Tech.