When Mike Parker took over as Soddy-Daisy's tennis coach before the season, he did not know much about his new players or even his new school, but an abundance of support has made the transition a smooth one.
He received a call from principal Danny Gilbert, one of Parker's former wrestlers, and was coaxed out of retirement.
"The principal of the school asked me if I would take the job, and we had a meeting with the parents and got along well, so I took it based on that," Parker said. "Everything has been great. I love the kids, and I've had a lot of fun with them."
The support has come from the school administration and team parents, who have attended to the minor details. With less paperwork to deal with, uniforms picked out and players taken care of, Parker has been able to focus on coaching.
"It's been real simple for me, because all I have to worry about is coaching the kids and helping them out," he said. "It's been nothing but great since day one. All of the players have been open to all of the suggestions I've made. They want to get better, and they're open to different viewpoints than they've had in the past, so that's made the transition very easy."
As Parker continues to get settled, he will take the Lady Trojans into the DecoTurf High School Tennis Team Championships, one of the largest high school tournaments in the nation.
The tournament is in its ninth year, but this is the first time it will be held in the Scenic City. It was held in Louisville the previous eight years.
"We've had teams from Chattanooga -- like Baylor, GPS and McCallie -- in the tournament over the years," said tournament director Brandon Fuesner. "I had heard about how great the city was and how great the tennis community was, so I visited last spring and it was the perfect fit."
The girls' tournament will be this Friday and Saturday, and the boys take the court next weekend. GPS and Baylor will be in the A division with Soddy-Daisy participating in the B division.
The tournament is famous for having some of the best teams and players in the nation, and Parker said the competition will be a benefit in the long run.
"It will give our girls the chance to play a lot of competition we would not see otherwise," Parker said. "Even in the B division, we'll be playing teams that have girls who have signed (NCAA) Division I scholarships, so we're going to see a level of competition we wouldn't see until we hopefully get to Nashville later in the year. It's a good barometer to see where we are."
The first two rounds will be Friday, and semifinals and finals will be on Saturday. Matches will be played at Baylor and the Champions Club.
Contact Idris Garcia at sports@timesfreepress.com