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After running the risk of not having a season due to the lack of a coach, Encinal’s womens’ tennis team found a coach, Melissa Abadia, right before the Jets’ season opener.
“Ms. Kenny did an email talking about how the season might be canceled and how they’re desperately looking and they just found out the last coach resigned,” said Abadia when asked how she found out about the position, “but the interesting thing is that I found out about five or six different ways, and I thought that was really cool how the community worked in different groups and got the word out.”
Coach Abadia is an adapted PE specialist in San Leandro and also an avid tennis player. She has captained adult tennis teams and leagues, but this is her first time coaching high school tennis.
At their introductory meeting, the tennis team received three times the people they were expecting.
“There are several girls that have played around nine years already, and I don’t want to let them down. I want them to compete and be ready,” said Coach Abadia. “There’s also a whole bunch of girls who’ve never picked up a racquet, and so I’m also spending time with them. Because I’m a special education teacher, I always want everybody included. That’s why I didn’t want to do cuts. As long as anyone wants to learn, I want them on the team.”
Abadia is planning on introducing the team to the United States Tennis Association (USTA), which will allow players to get off-season experience in a professional setting.
Though the team is extremely glad a coach was hired, the path to finding a coach was a stressful experience for the team members. Right after returning from the summer, members of Encinal’s womens’ tennis received an email stating that no coach had been hired for the coming season. According to administration, the team had less than a week to find a coach. If it didn’t, the entire season would be canceled.
The issue originated when Encinal’s previous Athletic Director, Leslie Blakely, resigned mid-school year. After doing so, there was failure to relay information to her successor, Kevin Gorham, causing the absence of a search for a tennis coach.
Members of the womens’ tennis team felt threatened by the email, and that they were having pressure put on them that should have been the responsibility of the athletics program.
“I think the whole situation with the athletic director is unprofessional and she should have told the school,” said Junior Sofia Layzer.
“I just think it’s really crappy and crummy how whenever something goes wrong they try and threaten the students and the PTA and the parents, like saying ‘if somebody doesn’t step up, this isn’t gonna happen.’,” added Senior Jay Abadia.
Nevertheless, Encinal Tennis is off to a 3-0 start, defeating Mt. Eden 7-0 in its latest match on September 29.
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