Head tennis coach Adam Cherry has been named the 3A Tennis Coach of the Year for the 2011-12 school year.  Not only did the team finish second in state, but Cherry also coached seven players into the individual state tournament with three of them reaching the finals.

“Cherry works just as hard if not harder than we do to make us better each and every day,” junior Autumn Keefer said. “He genuinely cares about our lives outside of tennis as well as our lives during tennis and I think our relationship with him really benefits our tennis game.”

Cherry’s passion for tennis inspires his players to constantly challenge themselves to improve.

“He is always at 200% and he plays every day with even more intensity than the day before,” Keefer said. “He makes us look forward to going to practice which is really important to me and helps motivate me even more.”

Developing a relationship with the players off the court is not only appreciated by the players, but it is also important to Cherry.

“It’s not all about tennis and forming relationships with the kids are one of the most enjoyable parts of my job,” Cherry said.

On the court, Cherry takes pleasure in watching his players improve.

“You don’t always see it day to day, but year to year it’s just amazing seeing how much a progress a player makes,” Cherry said.

The enthusiasm Cherry brings to every match rubs off on the players, inspiring his players to be willing to grind out a match.

“He has given me the confidence to finally understand what it means to pull out a tough match, what it means to get pumped, and what it means to be a team player,” Keefer said.

On and off the court, Cherry is a role model to many of his players and essential to the Leopards success.

“I can’t think of a more deserving person for that award,” senior Anisha Srivastava said. “He’s given so much time and effort to our tennis program. He’s supportive and encouraging and he just really cares about all of us. I couldn’t have asked for a better coach.”