Bridgeport Central tennis: For the love of the game
April 19, 2002
By KELLY WARNER
kwarner@ctpost.com
BRIDGEPORT -- David Hicks pauses, going through the years in his head. They all seem to blend together, and for good reason, since most ended on a similar note.
"In the 1980s we qualified for the state tournament," says the coach of the Bridgeport Central tennis team.
How many years did you qualify, he is asked.
Again he pauses.
"Two or three years. We made it to the early rounds -- first or second."
Granted, when you've been the coach of a program for 23 years, the past is going to get a little hazy, especially when this city school, playing a mostly suburban sport, has struggled to better or even match its heyday in the 1980s.
But to Hicks and his players, the wins and losses don't mean much. It's about having fun, developing friendships and learning a sport many players knew nothing about prior to joining the team.
What's that clich again?
"My role is to encourage them and make it fun for them," said the 55-year-old coach, who picked up tennis recreationally in college in North Carolina, and got his professional tennis coaching certificate. "People tell me I'm a glutton for punishment. We win when we can, but mostly it's about having fun and learning."
The Hilltoppers (1-2) are no Staples, a perennial championship team with four straight state titles. But then again, Hicks and his players don't want to be.
"(Losing) isn't frustrating," said Hicks, whose team went 0-16 last year and 0-17 in 2000. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't trade places with the winningest coach in the state."
Yet his team often plays the best, part of the reason why Bridgeport Central cannot seem to develop a winning tradition. The Hilltoppers face tough FCIAC opponents Staples, Trumbull, Fairfield, Ridgefield and New Canaan, to name a few.
What is frustrating, however, is the deteriorating courts, and the fact that the team is co-ed, since the girls do not have their own program.
"He makes it fun," said senior Maria Douich, who joined the team with no previous tennis experience. "It's frustrating because we play against boys, and that's not fair. But I don't regret losing. It's experience."
The green courts have more cracks than the ceiling of a 17th century house. The roots of the trees have grown underneath the surface, causing large bulges. The school finally got some new nets last year, not enough for all six courts, but a battle won nonetheless. The battle for new courts, however, doesn't look to end any time soon.
The battle to give the girls their own team doesn't seem promising, either. While there are more girls (20) than boys (12) on this year's team, a first, Hicks says the girls would have trouble competing in the FCIAC against New Canaan, Fairfield and Darien, all teams that won their respective class titles last season.
For now the girls scrimmage against other schools or play in doubles matches with the boys. Sophomore Evelyn Saenz plays No. 5 singles for the boys.
"I like the team, even though we aren't that good," Saenz said. "(Losing) doesn't stop me from playing at all. And playing against the boys helps me improve."
Despite their team record, the Hilltoppers have some individual talent. Sophomore Jared Dye, the team's No. 1 singles player, has been playing tennis since he was 3 years old. He started taking lessons at the Trumbull Racquet Club at 7. Dye (2-1), whose parents are actively involved in the citys grassroots tennis program, hopes to play at the Division I level in college.
"I'm out there because I want to be," Dye said. "I like (Hicks') style. He pushes you but he doesn't push you too much. If I lose, I take it in stride."
Dye said he thought about attending a private high school to play for a better team, but said it wasn't worth the tuition.
Sophomore Alex Dawkins, who plays No. 4 singles, doesn't think twice about the team's losses.
"I like the sport, it doesn't matter," Dawkins (1-2) said. "We are still getting better because of the competition."
And the competition doesn't take teams like Bridgeport Central lightly.
Trumbull coach Abe Breslow's team will face the Hilltoppers in the last match of the regular season, and says he treats Bridgeport Central like any other opponent.
"They have decent players so I go about it like any other match," Breslow said. "We're a stronger team, but I don't take them lightly.
"They still find enjoyment in it, it's not about wins or losses. It's a social thing, a camaraderie thing, a learning situation. It's where did you start and where did you end up?"
With his work in youth tennis programs, Hicks is hoping his future teams will end on a higher note. He says lack of interest in the sport at an early age, competition from other sports, the expense of the sport for court times and equipment, and having to teach his players from ground zero are reasons why he has struggled to develop a competitive team.
But despite that, he plans to teach for at least three more years, and says he isn't worried about finding a successor.
"As long as I'm still enjoying it, and the kids are too, I'll coach. I enjoy what I do."
