West Fargo’s first tennis coach transitions to Sheyenne
Jessica Qian
Tennis coach Chad Anderson looked from face to face at the Packers who made up his first tennis team of only
12 boys, thinking ‘What did I get myself into?’ Fourteen years later, Anderson has made the boys and girls tennis
teams competitors at the state level.
Anderson is currently coaching a combined Mustang and Packer boys tennis team, but the school’s first tennis
coach will soon coach his last days for the Packers and move to Sheyenne High School for the spring girls tennis
season. Anderson also teaches at Liberty Middle School.
“I'm being torn from one direction to the other, [but] I think it works best because when you're around the kids
that you coach; it just makes it that much easier,” Anderson said.“It'll be fun to start a new tradition [at Sheyenne].”
Since coaching at WFHS, Anderson has not only started the West Fargo Tennis Invite, but has also
organized summer-long tennis camps so players will always have a resource to go to and improve.
“We’ll miss a very dedicated, very passionate person,” Activities Director Curt Jones said.
Though Anderson is excited to start girls tennis at Sheyenne, it will be hard for him to leave the Packer tennis
team behind.
“I wish them the best of luck,” Anderson said. “Some of these girls that are going to be here next year for West
Fargo I've had since they were in seventh grade and so they're like a family to me. It's going to be so difficult to have
to play them.”
Girls Varsity tennis player senior Delaney Faiman is worried the new coach will not be as experienced or
qualified as Anderson, but feels that Anderson made the right choice moving to Sheyenne.
“It's kind of scary not knowing who's going to be coaching us,” Faiman said. “I think it's the best move for him
as a person because he's always looking for younger players to make better and move up and there's a lot of potential
at Sheyenne.”
Unlike Faiman, boys Varsity tennis player senior Brady Ballweber will continue to have Anderson as a coach
for his last year in high school tennis. Ballweber said he is glad because Anderson has coached him all six years.
“He knows what he's doing. He's really worked the program up from pretty much ground zero so he's leaving
off the next coach with a good track,” Ballweber said. “He's really good at figuring out everyone's personality
[individually] because everyone needs to be coached differently.”
Anderson admits that once he leaves, he will feel the aftermath of being a Packer. He said he will miss the
people at WFHS and hopes he can stay in touch with them.
“I look in my closet and everything is green and white and so it's going to be really tough. I'll still have all that
loyalty because I've been here for so long,” Anderson said.
Anderson is not only interested students being successful, but also to learn tennis as a life-long hobby.
“One of his best gifts is that he's able to make everyone feel good about playing tennis,” Jones said. “Whether
you're a great player or not, you're going to want to play tennis and come back year after year after year, even after
you leave WFHS.”