It is no easy task to fill in for the job of a coaching staff that has done it all, from team State Champion awards, to singles and doubles State Champion awards for years. To replace former tennis coaches, William Snyder and Matt Sowers, would require a candidate with an abundance of knowledge, experience, and passion for the game. Fortunately for the boys tennis team, all these characteristics and many more are found in their new head coach, Matthew Hills, George Mason’s current Assistant Principal.
Before coming to George Mason High School in 2012, Hills taught special education at Jeb Stuart High School and coached the boys varsity tennis team. During his five years there, he has led the team to win three straight District titles (2008-2010) and one State Championship in 2009.
“It was rare because Jeb Stuart hadn’t had too many State Champions…tennis is always one of those sports that kind of flies under the radar a bit, and I think with the notoriety that we received from winning all those years and from having strong players on our team, allowed tennis to be put on the map,” Hills said.
Throughout his career at Jeb Stuart, Hills had no idea that one of his own players would someday become a companion. Rafael Diokno played for him from his freshman year in 2007 up to graduation in 2010 and returned the following year to assist the team. The experience Diokno has with Hills in the past proved to be beneficial when it came to familiarity with his coaching style and team expectations.
“I’d like to believe that when I was able to coach him, not only did I teach him a lot, but I allowed him to grow this love and passion for tennis,” Hills said.
It was no surprise when they decided to reunite and coach high school tennis together again. Though they are both new to Mason tennis, it is no doubt that their close bond will make the whole team feel at home in no time.
“The fact that we’ve known each other so long [means] we have very similar styles, and a very similar approach to the game,” Hills said.
“There are many ways to define success in tennis,” Hill said.
He expects to win as many matches possible and to compete for a team state title. This is more difficult than an individual state title as it requires winning the best of nine matches by any combination of doubles or singles from a team.
“You represent your team, but you’re still being scored on yourself…that’s the most difficult thing. There is such huge individual aspect to tennis, so how do you maintain that team unity. It is an interesting concept, but that’s what makes it so exciting,” Hills said.
In order to succeed as a team, Hills plans to help players grow “that mental edge” in tennis.
“You’re not gonna have ‘it’ every game. So when I talk about focusing on the mental side of things, it’s how do you address that. When you know you’re not hitting the ball well, what kind of adjustments can you make in your game, that’s gonna allow you to still win,” Hills said.
Will Hills be able to manage the workload as head tennis coach and the school assistant principal? As far as productivity, Hills sees no reason why that should change. The only thing he sees himself altering is the specific dates he would supervise school events such as sports games, music events, and information session. However, with Principal Tyrone Byrd and Assistant Principal Kevin Clark beside him, he is confident he can do both.
