By Catherine Garrett | [email protected]

The Juan Diego Catholic High School girls tennis team has been going through a rebuild of sorts the past two seasons, having lost nearly 20 players to graduation. This season, the program boasts new coach Peter Matus, who enjoyed success for several years in the sport and has been teaching tennis professionally around the West.

“Juan Diego is very excited to welcome coach Peter Matus to our campus,” said JDCHS athletic director Ted Bianco. “He brings a great deal of experience to our teams and we are looking forward to the new era of Juan Diego tennis as he will be coaching both our boys and girls teams.”

Matus still holds the state record for winning all 96 of his high school matches at Judge Memorial before playing Division 1 tennis in New York where he won Big East Conference honors his freshman season. Following a professional playing journey for several years and earning an MBA, Matus began coaching tennis for all ages and levels. He can still be reached for private lessons at [email protected] or 891-555-9774[LL1] .

“I was fortunate to have a lot of success so it’s always a great feeling of being able to pay it forward and share your talent with others and give back as much as you can,” Matus said. “So, it’s a pleasure to see others learn and elevate their games. Juan Diego is known throughout the West and has great academic and athletic programs so it’s an honor to coach here.”

Matus inherited a team that lost eight players last season and has been working hard at developing his team of more than 25 girls.

“We are in a rebuilding stage with only a couple of seniors this year but we will do our best,” he said. “So far, all the girls are working very hard in practice. It may take us a year or two, but I’m confident Juan Diego will soon dominate again in both girls and boys as we have some talented kids that are ready to work hard and have fun.”

Matus is being assisted by Heather Foy on the coaching staff.

“Energy, emotion and fun” is the approach Matus is employing to help balance team and individual goals. “We want to focus on performance rather than outcome objectives so the girls can grow and excel on and off the court. We’ll help them strive to improve competitive skills, strategy, mental toughness, peak concentration and physical conditioning as we try to build a strong sense of team chemistry as well.”

Juan Diego’s season begins Aug. 23 with a preseason match against Payson. They will then begin Region 15 play against American Preparatory Academy, American Heritage, Judge Memorial, Rowland Hall, Providence Hall, Waterford and Maeser in matches Aug. 25, Aug. 30, Sept. 1, Sept. 6, Sept. 8, Sept. 13 and Sept. 15 before postseason play.

“I have always had a love for this game ever since I picked up a tennis racket at the age of 4,” Matus said. “I really do enjoy working with players and giving back to the community and helping those out that would like to play. This is also known as a sport you can play for a lifetime meaning that you can play for years and years and yet, you can still keep improving your game and most of all, having fun and meeting people from all over the world.”