By Hannah Simon, Co-Copy Editor
A familiar face in Conestoga’s math hallway for the past 25 years, Seth Shore is now bringing his expertise to the tennis court.
Having previously held an assistant coaching position with the boys’ tennis team in the early 2000s, Shore is now returning as the girls’ tennis team’s head coach. He began playing tennis at a young age, and played at the high school and college level. Shortly after, Shore began coaching tennis and managing racquet clubs within the local area, where he acquired a United States Professional Tennis Association professional membership for tennis educators coaching full-time.
“I think he’s very optimistic. He definitely knows what he’s doing, and he really knows how to bring up the energy when we need it the most,” said senior and co-captain Jennifer He. “Even though at first everyone was sort of nervous about having a new coach this season, he did a really good job of keeping us together as a family.”
According to Shore, coming into the season he knew the team was advanced — winning back-to-back state championships is no small feat. With numerous other league and state titles, Shore hopes to carry on this legacy of success while imparting some of the lessons that he learned from tennis to the athletes along the way.
“Our goal is definitely to win states. There’s no question about that. That’s the team goal,” Shore said. “Individually, I want them to just improve in tennis and improve as people.”
Regardless of its ambition for titles, the team values sportsmanship and togetherness above all. To He, it is the people that she plays with and their bond that make the sport so enjoyable. Communication, a virtue that Shore has specifically emphasized this season, is a deciding factor in this team chemistry.
“I think he’s very open to communication, and I love that about him,” He said. “Shore emphasizes that whenever there’s a problem the way to solve it is through communication.”
Communication is also the biggest translation between the classroom and court for Shore. He enjoys sharing stories and jokes, a trait that students and players alike appreciate.
Ultimately, whether teaching inside the classroom or on the court, Shore hopes that all students get more out of it than just the material or sport. Moreso, he wants them to discover what works for them.
“My favorite thing about coaching them is to see how well they all get along,” Shore said. “For a sport as individualistic as tennis where not everybody is playing at the same time, they’re always circled around, and they seem to enjoy being with each other.”
Hannah Simon can be reached at [email protected].
