ARCHBALD — At a tennis match, Jerry Pickard is easily recognizable.
Wearing a Valley View shirt, a bucket hat to protect him from the sun, and dark sunglasses, the spry 77-year-old coach is constantly walking around, encouraging and cheering on his players.
Macular degeneration, an eye disease that affects the middle of your vision, and cataracts, a cloudy area in the eye’s lens, have weakened his sight. Still, he gets around, listens closely, and never stops coaching. He can see the ball but not the score, and he turns to his assistant coach, Carrie Williams, for updates throughout a match. He is always smiling and creating an upbeat, positive and competitive culture in a program he has dedicated decades developing.
Each fall, the pursuit of a Lackawanna League championship in girls tennis usually runs through Scranton Prep or Abington Heights. However, Valley View is consistently right there among the best teams. Pickard’s light approach encourages participation, and his learned tennis knowledge helps the Cougars battle each time they take the court.
His impact on the sport has left an indelible legacy, making him an icon.
“He is a great coach,” said Ella Swingle, Valley View’s No. 1 singles player. “You can always tell that he is into the matches as much as we are. He motivates me to become a better all-around player. He always makes us better players. He helps us with the things we need to work on and is always straight to the point.”
Recently, on a sweltering afternoon at the Valley View tennis courts, Pickard and his Cougars faced Honesdale. He spent time walking back and forth, coaching on each of the three courts.
As soon as a break in the match happened, he would briskly walk to a cooler filled with chilled water. He brought them, whether the player needed it or not. Then he offered key instructions.
In three decades, the one-time wiry running back and lightning-quick sprinter from Jessup High School picked up on the nuances of tennis. Pickard started building the girls tennis team in 1986. He also became the head coach of the boys tennis program in 1995.
In 39 seasons with Pickard as head coach, the girls tennis team has had just one losing season. That came in a 0-13 first year. Combined with his 30 years with the boys tennis team and eight seasons as a junior high and assistant track coach, he’s been a fixture at Valley View and impacting young athletes’ lives.
“He is very dedicated and gives us encouragement and honest constructive criticism,” said Emily Evans, Valley View’s No. 3 singles player. “It’s a lot of fun. I enjoy coming to practice. We can be social and competitive. Our success is because of him. We have times when we are having fun and times when we are serious. He helps us fix our mistakes and is always coaching us.”
Throughout his professional and coaching career, Pickard dedicated himself to helping students realize their potential.
In the classroom, he tutored hundreds of students who struggled with the SAT exams, even after his retirement. On the court, he has one of the largest rosters of players who eagerly join his team each year.
He emphasizes teaching the game to everyone. He builds his team’s strength by developing doubles teams. He sharpens his best players’ skills. Of course, there are the pizza parties, too. Those are known across the league and build bonds and friendships.
This year’s team is off to another good start. The Cougars posted a win over Honesdale. As soon as one match ended, Pickard quickly jumped up and got his doubles teams ready to take the courts. Then he extended a handshake to the players from Honesdale and his athletes. He exudes sportsmanship.
“I think he pushes us as a team and makes all the practices fun,” said Sarah Sweeney, Valley View’s No. 2 singles player. “He has a unique ability to inspire each player to play to their potential. He brings positive energy to each match. He is set apart from other coaches because he is so committed to our success as a team.
“He is a big part of this community. At our away matches, he is talking with the other coaches and players. He has a great personality and makes us feel confident in ourselves.”
Coach Pickard makes playing tennis fun.
He also has built a winner. He’s guided individual district champions in both girls and boys tennis; he has been a coach of the year for both, and his teams have competed for league and district titles.
Most of all, Pickard has had a blast.
TIMES-TRIBUNE POLLS
WEEK 2 TEAM RANKINGS
1. Scranton Prep (3-0)
2. Abington Heights (5-0)
3. Valley View (4-0)
4. West Scranton (4-0)
5. North Pocono (5-0)
WEEK 2 SINGLES PLAYERS RANKINGS
1. Cara Evans, Montrose
2. Lily Lengyal, Scranton Prep
3. Alyssa Wigley, Scranton Prep
4. Susan Arp, Abington Heights
5. Emma Cuck, Scranton Prep
6. Noelle Holderith, Delaware Valley
7. Zarina Mustafina, West Scranton
8. Alaina Burke, Wallenpaupack
