Gerry Hippert has been the assistant coach for 4 years. He, too, has been an educator (teacher and administrator) and a top basketball and football official for many years. Gerry also graduated from St. John's and Worcester State College and can be reached at (508) 892-4527.

Season  Spring.

Tryouts  There will be an informational meeting for all students interested in trying out for the tennis team on Thursday, March 17th at 2:30 in Room 201. The season begins Monday, March 21st.

Levels  Varsity.

History      Tennis at St. John's over the past 30 years has been an exemplary program. Each year skilled players have provided the impetus to achieving outstanding seasons against some of the finest competition in the state. St. John's reaches out each season to play the best teams from Central Massachusetts and also the top teams from the western and eastern sections of the state.      St. John's has won four state championships and numerous district titles over the years. Also, the program has produced many individual singles and doubles champions both at the district and state levels.

Program       Each spring, approximately 35 players try out for the 16 spots on the St. John's Tennis Team. After these days of workouts, the squad is selected based on ability, competitive spirit, and coachability.  All four classes are represented in order to ensure a constancy over the years.      Practice sessions are held every afternoon from 2:45 to 5:00. Players are expected to be at practice on time each day unless they are participating in a help session or another academic endeavor. Weekend practices are limited to as-needed occasions.      The season consists of 20 varsity matches and at least 6 J.V. matches. Every member of the squad will participate in matches at one level or the other.      Young players have a wonderful opportunity to improve their games not only because of instructions and daily drills but also because of the constant competition with other excellent players. Challenge matches are often held to determine spots on the team ladder.      During the summer of 2010, construction began on a new tennis complex at St. John's. THe spring of 2011 will find the Pioneers playing on five new Deco-Turf courts located in a pristine setting just behind the old courts. Many excellent touches were added to allow our players the best opportunity to demonstrate their skills and enjoy tennis to the fullest extent.

Alumni Many of the St. John's tennis alums have gone on to matriculate and play tennis at some of the finest schools in the United States. Over the past 10 years, here is a list of some of our tennis players and the schools they attended: Tapan Mehta - Bowdoin College Nick Ganiar - Boston University Josh Rilla - Amherst College Scott Peters - University of Maryland Craig Helstowski - Lafayette College Sebastian Paquette - Assumption College Tom Dolan - Trinity College Greg Avola - Bentley College Ben Casey - Lafayette College Rob O'Rourke - Georgetown University Darren Helstowski - Providence College Mike Dolan - Bentley College Ted Swinderski - Fairfield University Sameer Taneja - University of Chicago Mike Burke - Boston University Phil Murphy - Holy Cross Mayur Kasetty - Brandeis University Dan Johnson - Boston College Dan Rider - College of Charlston Mike Breen - Marquette University Chris Bannon - WPI Jack O'Day - University of Vermont