Coach Altmire represents a popular sport at Pennridge High School: tennis. Previously considered a complementary season sport or non-major sports program, tennis is now a mainstay of the school’s athletic program, with many students serving up their first tennis balls. “Tennis is a development at Pennridge High School,” Altmire says. “Most athletes are new to it,” Atlmire adds. The squad comprises athletes from various sports, some from Pennridge’s more established soccer, basketball, and football programs. This diversity enables Altmire to craft players with different skills and aptitudes.
Altmire’s coaching philosophy stems from optimism and a nurturing environment that inspires positive development and motivates the players. “Move always toward the positives, you can skip over the negatives,” Altmire says. By focusing on what went well in a given match, players are encouraged to meet challenges with a constructive mindset that invites them to practice and enjoy the game.
On the development side, the team dynamic has made a large impact. Whether learning key components of this multi-faceted game, being able to execute difficult moves, or even just pulling together skills of practice and mental fortitude, these are the individual successes on the road to achieving personal bests and are celebrated along the way. Apart from developing skills, Altmire aims to instill a broader understanding and appreciation of tennis in his team. His hands-on instruction makes tennis strategies understandable so aspiring players can learn from him. At the same time, experienced players can improve their technique with Altmire’s instruction.
These efforts have expanded the number of Pennridge students playing tennis and improved the quality of sports participants. Altmire preaches teamwork, dedication, and discipline off the court. These teachings are not limited to the tennis court but create a complete player and person who carries these traits into their respective lives. This camaraderie developed over many years between tennis team members, making the tennis team famous in the Pennridge athletic program as a model of sportsmanship, teamwork, and shared goals.
The tennis program, under Altmire, is slowly but surely establishing a strong reputation. The team has demonstrated extraordinary growth, and teachers and parents have pointed out the work ethic and self-confidence such progress has bolstered in their student players and how this all adds up to a virtuous cycle of performance and success for the team. Players are hungry to keep learning, and they are infectious. Through his leadership, Altmire has changed Pennridge tennis into more than just another sport. It is also an environment where students learn many life lessons on survival, success, perseverance, patience, hard work, and ethics. The program under Altmire may be just starting out, but Pennridge tennis has a future.
