This fall, the Fenwick High School tennis program will have a new leader.
The school announced March 8 in a press release to Wednesday Journal that Ron Rogala will be the head coach of the Friars’ boys and girls’ tennis teams. He will replace Gerard Sullivan, who is stepping down following the boys’ season this spring.
Sullivan has overseen the program for 32 years, so Rogala knows he has some big shoes to fill.
“I am thrilled at the opportunity to lead the Fenwick boys’ and girls’ the tennis teams,” he stated. “I look forward to returning to my roots coaching competitive teams with an emphasis on helping each student explore and develop their individual potential in the context of a team environment.”
Rogala has a vast amount of coaching experience at the collegiate and club levels. He served as head coach at Elmhurst College from 1990 through 1996. During that time, several of his student-athletes set school victory records in singles and doubles. Moreover, his teams enjoyed a lot of success in the classroom.
“I loved working with college players,” Rogala said. “Their drive to compete in the court while maintaining the highest academic standards was truly inspiring.”
Following Elmhurst, Rogala worked as a teaching professional for 24 years at the Midtown Athletic Club in Chicago. In 2020, he took a job at the Tennis and Fitness Center in Oak Park.
Rogala has worked with players of various skill levels, and he believes that experience has prepared him for Fenwick.
“I look forward to returning to my roots coaching competitive teams,” he said, “with an emphasis on helping each student explore and develop their individual potential in the context of a team environment.”