New coach expects MHS to contend for titles
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Erik Tavel was pretty excited to see what the Montgomery High School boys tennis program had last spring and know that he’d have the chance to guide it this year.
With John Arnold’s retirement after last year, Tavel moves up from junior varsity to his first varsity head coaching job. He inherits a Cougars team that went 16-3, won the Somerset County Tournament and reached the Central Jersey Group IV semifinals. Tavel is raising the bar for an MHS team that opens the season next Tuesday.
”I think we have the talent and depth,” he said. “We won the county championship and went 16-3, and I think the team is stronger this year. I want to win the counties and want to win the states so we can make it to the Tournament of Champions. I want to win that too. We have the talent and I feel we have the coaching. With my experience and energy, I hope we can get to that point.”
Tavel played for Hightstown, rising through the lineup to play second singles as a junior and senior after a year at third singles. He’s a much improved player since then.
”I had no clue about the game,” Tavel said. “My teaching experience has really helped me grow.”
Tavel is a USPTR certified professional. He has worked in various clubs for 15 years, from Pennsbury Racquet Club and Bucks County Racquet Club to the Princeton Tennis Program.
”I have a lot of tennis experience,” Tavel said. “My brothers are players. I started playing when I was around 11.”
Tavel still coaches clients, but his focus is on using his newly acquired master’s degree to find a teaching position. In the meantime, the chance to run a program like Montgomery’s is a perfect setting for him. He will even have the chance to run the tennis program put on by the Montgomery Recreation Department.
”It’s a great area,” Tavel said. “The kids I cut could probably play top JV or even varsity at some places. It’s good for me to have a pool like that.”
Tavel had 48 players come out to vie for 25 spots between the varsity and JV teams. The singles is pretty set, but doubles is still being played out as Tavel works to finalize the Cougars’ ladder and handle his head coaching duties.
”It’s a lot more responsibility overseeing the whole program,” Tavel said. “I’ll be dealing with some parents, some parents who have higher expectations for the players and the team. I have those expectations as well, so I don’t mind it. Juggling all that is a new experience for me.”
Tavel hopes to be able to work closely with his team to improve their games. He thinks he can do so effectively by getting out his own racket to give them a challenge.
”I try to go out there and play with the kids,” said Tavel, who was head JV coach for the girls program in the fall. “I try to keep myself in shape. If I can beat them, that gives them one more good player to challenge. It forces my good players to step up.”
Tavel is a far improved player from his Hightstown days, and he’s willing to give his players an idea of where they can improve.
”Normally the coach can’t provide the kind of challenge I can,” Tavel said. “I still love training. I still love playing. I’m a pretty good player.
”My top couple guys, my third is a freshman and my top two are a senior and sophomore if they hold those spots, they’re good players. If I’m on my game, there’s no way they’ll beat me.”
Tavel also feels strongly that there shouldn’t be many teams in the state that can handle his Cougars.
”I’m going to make sure we all know who we have in front of us, and what we have to do,” Tavel said. “It’s competitive and I keep pushing them. I want to win the state. I’m setting the bar high.”