Womens' Tennis Coach Peter Felskes' Legacy

Four years ago Peter Felske's inner office in Palmer Dixon was a men's shower stall. Women didn't have locker room facilities in the building back then, nor did they have much of a team--at least not by today's standards.

Sure, the netwomen occasionally won Greater Boston and Massachusetts state titles in the early 1970's, but these tournaments have been dominated by Harvard during coach Felske's four-year reign. This year featured the best Harvard team yet, one which easily won the GBCs and the Mass state titles and losing by one point to Yale at the New Englands. Along the way, the net-women garnered first-ever wins over Penn and Dartmouth, the New England doubles title, the Ivy League singles title, and a respectable third place overall at the Ivies.

The season now over, Felske walks out of his converted shower, A table in the center of the outer room is cluttered with photographs, remnants of a just completed coaching career.

There are photographs of Betsy Richmond, who gave Harvard's women's tennis program new-found credibility three years ago by winning the triple crown--individual titles at the New Englands, GBCs, and Mass states. Current star Tina Bougas repeated the feat a year later.

Photographs, too of Meg Meyer and Martha Roberts, four-year competitiors who are leaving this year with Felske. Photographs marking the team's national debut in California last year. And photographs of the combined Harvard-Yale trip to England two years ago for the first international intercollegiate cup championship ever in women's tennis.

It's obvious that the netwomen have come a long way in a short time span, but Felske has a surprisingly casual attitude. "I'm not of the Vince Lombardi mold at all," he says, adding, "I've been a pretty good friend to my players--maybe too much of one. The good guys often finish last in this business."

One reason Felske has avoided the "good guy" syndrome is recruiting. The women's program will undoubtedly improve again next year, since the class of 1985 will include at least three nationally-ranked women players. But Felske downplays this aspect of his job, saying, "I find recruiting a little distasteful."

Not that he underestimates the important of starting with talent. "In my entire four years I know of only one or two players in this league who've improved--most regress." Felske surmises that "tennis takes a backseat" when prodigies come to college and discover that the world has more to offer.

Accordingly, Felske takes a broad view of his coaching role--"We're here to be teachers, and not just of technique. We're here to help students be better people."

A little idealistic, perhaps, but the formula has worked for the 27-year-old coach. He leaves a strong team to his successor, making the chances for continued improvement of the Harvard women's tennis program very good indeed.