WRA girls tennis, newly hired head coach off to a great start

by Dan Holland

For Western Reserve Academy’s first-year girls varsity tennis head coach Doug Wenger, it’s all about building on the foundation of the team’s winning ways. As of mid-September, the team was off to an 11-0 start, which included wins against three teams ranked statewide in the top ten.

“As far as I know, I don’t believe the school has ever had a team start off at 11-0 like we have,” said Wenger. “We wanted the strongest schedule we could possibly get, and so far, we have won 11 straight matches. It hasn’t been easy. The longer we go into the season, the stronger the opposition has become, and they know we are on this roll. Every match is tough, and you have to be ready to play every single day.”

He cites the team’s depth, hard work and commitment as the reason for its successes thus far.

Wenger, who recently retired from a 40-year career in corporate global information technology, decided to become more active in coaching following retirement. He has taught tennis professionally for 25 years and has coached part-time during that same period.

“Some of the tennis players and people in the community knew me, and they approached me to see if I would be interested in leading the team to continue to build a strong tennis program both on and off the court,” said Wenger. “I love working with high school tennis players; I’ve worked at all levels over the years from beginners all the way up to players who have become college tennis players.”

Wenger’s accolades include guiding the National Junior Team Tennis to a silver medal. He has also coached a number of players who went on to play college tennis, including two NCAA championship qualifiers and one collegiate All-American.

On a personal level, Wenger has played on the national adult tennis circuit for many years, winning five Midwest Singles Championships and garnering a top-50 national ranking. He also won a gold medal in both singles and doubles at the National Senior Games in 2017. 

Wenger, a Richfield resident who was recently inducted into the United States Professional Tennis Association Hall of Fame, assisted Richfield Village officials in their plan to design and build tennis and pickleball courts directly behind Village Hall. He lent his expertise to the process as an appointee to the United States Tennis Association Executive Council.

“This past year, the village got approval to build pickleball and tennis courts,” explained Wenger. “I helped them with the design, and I’m trying to work with Revere Middle School to start a tennis program now that they have some courts to use. I really want to see more youth having greater opportunities to play tennis: summer tennis, summer rec programs and middle school tennis programs.”

Wenger said his life has been greatly enriched through both playing and coaching tennis.

“It’s the sense of community that comes from it,” he explained. “I’m getting to know people who I would have otherwise never met. I’m meeting young people who will go on to do great things in life, with many having overcome any number of challenges. I love being a part of a group of people who share a common goal, who are respectful of each other and have supportive families.”

Above all, Wenger said the life lessons learned through sports often carry over into adulthood.

“Tennis is a sport that involves problem solving, discipline and commitment, and that carries over in your everyday life,” he said. “And that’s what excites me about being a coach, teaching some of these life skills through athletics that [players] can take forward into their personal and professional lives.” ∞

Photo: Doug Wenger