High school sports programs are accustomed to ever-changing rosters as graduation and incoming freshmen tend to shake things up, but replacing a coaching staff is a different story. Finding the right combination of coaching ability and, more importantly, the ability to teach and inspire student athletes is no easy task.
The difficulty of that task is increased when having to replace a legend, and that is the position Moorestown High School athletic director Neil Rosa was in when Bill Kingston announced he was retiring as the girls’ tennis team head coach.
“This is a very unique year for us as we have a new coach taking over for someone who has been a great success with Moorestown for a number of years,” Rosa said. “It is definitely a bit of a changing of the guard for us.”
Steve Dickerson is taking over the girls’ tennis program from Kingston who is one of the most legendary tennis coaches in the state, accruing more than 1,500 wins in boys’ and girls’ tennis combined. Dickerson has been one of Kingston’s assistants for the last eight years and, according to Rosa, has an impressive resume all his own.
“Steve is a technical wizard. He is well known and respected throughout the state for how he teaches the game and for analyzing technique. His reputation is second to none in that regard,” Rosa said. “But most importantly, his outstanding reputation as a teacher in our district and his compassion really came through during my conversations with him.”
Dickerson credits Kingston for teaching him a great deal about running a high school program.
“I learned a lot from him. He just had such a love for tennis,” Dickerson said. “But he put in a lot more hours than I would have anticipated. He really taught me about putting in the work and how much effort is involved.”
Taking over a program that has experienced as much success as Moorestown puts Dickerson in a position where he doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel, more just add his own voice and style where necessary.
“I have been studying tennis for my entire adult life. I hope to bring a tactical and technical approach to the team and just bring some new ideas,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson spoke with the team before school ended in June, challenging it to prepare for the season over the summer.
“I just spoke with them about really working hard and putting the work in over the summer so that when the season begins, we are really in a position to hit the ground running,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson will take both the junior varsity and varsity teams to the U.S. Open tournament in New York later this month so the girls can watch tennis played at the highest level.
“It will show them what they can aspire to if they work hard and really challenge themselves,” Dickerson said.
More than anything, Dickerson spoke to a feeling of excitement in his new position.
“I’m just excited honestly, to get practicing, to get the season underway. It really will be a lot of fun,” Dickerson said.
