New head coach tries to maintain boys’ tennis success
By: Justin Feil
Jim Giovacchini realizes that his first season as West Windsor-Plainsboro High South boys’ head tennis coach could be his toughest.
The first-year coach loses the Pirates’ top two players, including first singles’ Anthony Pu, who became the fourth straight WW-PS first singles player to go on to an Ivy League school after last spring. He has a young lineup, but would like to keep the tradition of success intact.
"They’ve been one of the top two public schools for at least the last 12 years," said the Ewing resident, who takes over for Renny Shuster. "West Windsor in the past has sent guys to Princeton, Harvard, Columbia and Penn. And they’ve gone and played Ivy tennis. There have been guys coming through there the last 10 years who have been phenomenal.
"It’s a little different to step into it and not have that caliber of player. The team seems to be more of a team though. Only once before have I had a real high caliber player and that was a difficult position. There’s no superstar standout and that makes for a closer team."
WW-PS seems to have gotten the right person for the job in Giovacchini, who has experience with teams of similar composition. Most recently in public school, he was the Hopewell Valley boys’ head coach in 1995. He also has a strong teaching background, which should help as he works with the Pirate players.
"I know a few more drills than the average person," he said. "Drills are definitely a part of it. They will become a bigger part of it now that challenge matches are over. Also, the fact that I have competed a little bit, and I can tell some stories of situations I’ve been in. And from coaching other schools, I’ve been around varsity players at a lot of different levels, and I’ve usually had more success with doubles than singles.
"If you can help a team at all, it’s going to show more in doubles. You have to find a good fit for partners. One big thing I try to stress is footwork. It’s extremely important for singles and helpful along with teamwork for doubles."
Giovacchini graduated from Notre Dame High, where he played golf and baseball, before continuing his education at Rider University. After graduation from Rider, he took up tennis and only a recent injury has slowed his play.
"I do play some, but very little now because of arm problems," he said. "Actually playing isn’t as bad as teaching. It’s different. Teaching requires a lot of feeding and that repetitive motion is what bothers it. I have played competitively, but haven’t in a couple years now. I started late in life."
He’s happy that he hasn’t waited so long to jump back into coaching.
"I have kept up with the local players a little bit," Giovacchini said. "I’ve kept up with high school tennis over the years. I know some of the kids out there, but not a lot. Most of the teaching I’ve done is not for the top level varsity kids.
"I think it’s a good opportunity," he added. "I have coached other teams in the area and worked in a lot of different areas. This is the most talent I’ve inherited. It’s nice to work with a more talented group than I’ve inherited in the past."
Still, Giovacchini wants to take a cautiously optimistic approach to the season. He is confident that the Pirates can be their usual solid selves, but thinks the results might come differently.
"It’s hard for me to gauge how they’ll do exactly," he said. "They don’t have those guaranteed spots, guaranteed wins. They’re going to have to work harder to get that three out of five. I did address that early on. They know it. I’m trying to build their confidence and let them know they could still be one of the best teams in the county."
After WW-P South’s scheduled opener Monday against sister school WW-P North, the Pirates host Lawrence on Wednesday and play at Allentown on Friday. Princeton and Notre Dame come in the season’s second week.
"You don’t have to win a match, 5-0. You can win, 4-1 or 3-2, and get the same number of wins," Giovacchini said. "We can’t have any weak links. We have to be strong in that. I think they’re pretty excited about their chances. We have some big matches right off the bat, so we’ll find out right away."
And right away, Jim Giovacchini will get a taste for how far the past WW-PS winning tradition can carry his young Pirates, or just how tough it will be to maintain that traditional level of play.