Baldwin School tennis coach Jeff Sacks collects 100th career win
Bryn Mawr – Baldwin School tennis coach Jeff Sacks has always been a man of few words on match day. Those few words have carried much impact and have played a key role in his success at the helm of a team that has seen its share of success
On Sept. 28, Sacks’ squad defeated Inter-Ac foe Academy of Notre Dame 7-0 giving Sacks his 100th career win at Baldwin. Pacing the way was Torrie Smith at No. 1 singles with a 6-4 7-5 win. Izzy Antanavicius won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 singles while Presley Daggett won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3 singles.
“One of Coach Sacks’ mottos is to always keep fighting – this is what ultimately led me to win my tough match against Notre Dame,” Smith said in a recent interview. “It seemed that all I needed was a simple phrase from Coach Sacks to keep myself from losing the second set. Coach Sacks ensures that all of his players have confidence. I believe that this is one of the main reasons that he is so successful as a coach. He frequently emphasizes that the match is never over and that nothing is out of our reach.”.
All four doubles teams of Alexis Shatzman and Alexa Diecidue (No. 1), Teagan Krane and Han Ahanger (No. 2), Grace Lavin and Devon Shatzman (No.3) and Berlyn Squillaro and Ella Goldman (No.4) won in straight sets to complete the sweep.
“I didn’t realize it was his 100th career win until he shared that with me when he sent his results in from the match,” said Baldwin junior varsity head coach Roni Sacks. “I am so happy for him knowing how much he has enjoyed the ride and how much he loves the sport.”
Smith added, “It was great to be part of Coach Sacks’ 100th win, and it was so exciting to see him reach an achievement he truly deserves!”
When Sacks took the job at Baldwin 12 years ago, he did so with the intention of turning around a program that had been stuck in neutral. Sacks has done just that capturing two Inter-Ac crowns (outright in 2010 and shared with Episcopal Academy in 2012) to accompany many finishes in the top half of a very competitive league.
Playing tennis since he was a young lad, Sacks went on to play high school tennis for Plymouth Whitemarsh before taking his game to the next level, beginning at East Stroudsburg University for one year and then at The George Washington University his sophomore year.
With the knowledge that he wanted to stay involved in tennis, Jeff and Roni started an after-school program in Tredyffrin Township for children at the elementary school level.
While running the after-school program, Sacks coached boys and girls’ tennis (off and on) at Shipley for five years, and won one league title with the boys.
Throughout his coaching career, the one mainstay has been Sacks’ ability to assist in the development of his players.
“Coach Sacks has helped me to not only develop as a player, but also as a leader,” said Smith. ” He proves himself to be a role model both on and off the court and provides his players with so much to learn from.”
“He had a great impact,” aid Jen Newman, who starred at Baldwin before having a standout career at Amherst. “He worked hard to bring us together as a team and create a bonding environment, He made me want to go to practice.”
