RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - “No one has ever drowned in sweat,” said Cordova varsity tennis coach Jeff Piecznski who goes by “Coach Pie.”

This inspirational quote has followed him around for many, many years while he was first learning the game of tennis. Coach Pie is in his seventh year as the tennis coach for the boy’s and girl’s teams at Cordova High. Before Cordova High, coach Pie was a tennis teaching professional for 13+ years.

He has also studied tennis instruction for two years, taught in Europe for one and a half years, taught in the Midwest for a few years, was the junior coordinator at Johnson Ranch Racquet Club in Roseville for 4 years and was head tennis professional at the Del Norte Club in Sacramento for 4+ years. So as you can see, he is well qualified for the job.

The modern sport of tennis has been around since 1873 originating in London, England. The game is played with either two players challenging each other or four players playing doubles. The Cordova Recreation and Park District has a couple of tennis courts as part of their amenities in most of their parks. So, as you can imagine, it’s pretty easy to organize a match or two as long as you have two rackets and some tennis balls.

The problem is that the game of tennis has taken a back seat to other sports such as football, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball and even golf. It’s almost the forgotten game. One can still find tennis rackets at garage sales for only a dollar. Most of the older courts in the community are in need of resurfacing. Unless your community has an active tennis club that helps promote the sport to the younger generation, most kids grow up without ever even touching a tennis racquet. This seems to be the dilemma with a lot of high schools in the region including Cordova.

This is the challenge that coach Pie faces season after season. Most of the kids trying out for the team are beginners. So, when new kids show up for the tennis team that have had the opportunity of playing the sport against a parent or relative that has played the game for years, his eyes light up with enthusiasm.

Such is the case of key players freshman Alie Rohrer (girls singles no. 1), sophomore Delia Shcherbanyuk girls singles no. 2) and junior Sean Trinh (boys singles no. 1). It has been proven that good players will make your beginning players better. This in turn will make your entire team better and be the catalyst of a successful season. 

“I’m pleased with the progress of our program,” Piecznski said. “We have some very nice players that really work hard on their game.”

So far, the Cordova Lancers are having one of their better seasons. They are currently 3-4 with a good opportunity to finish the season at 5-5 which would have them finishing third in the Greater Sacramento League. This is great news for the program as it moves forward. Thank you, coach Pie, for your passion of the game.

Go Big Red!