Chris Wilson wasn’t having the greatest of days.
But it was about to get better.
The Lancaster Country Day coach was about to lead his boys soccer team into a match in October, dealing with a losing season that included several issues, including injuries.
Before the match began, athletic director Zac Kraft asked Wilson to step into his office.
“I’m thinking to myself, ‘Now what,’ ” Wilson said. “He goes, ‘I’ve got an email from the PIAA that I’ve got to read to you.’ ” But soon, Wilson, who also coaches boys tennis for the Cougars in the spring, realized it was not more bad news.
It was really good news.
Still with a somber tone, Kraft soon changed his tune, passing along the PIAA’s congratulations for Wilson being named the 2022-23 PIAA/NFHS Coach of the Year in boys tennis.
“They caught me off guard with that one,” he said. “I did not see that coming.
“I was very humbled. No doubt about that.”
The PIAA/NFHS news release announcing the 24 coaches being honored says that “coaches are selected based on their impact on their specific sports program, success of their teams, adherence to PIAA by-laws and sportsmanship throughout the year.”
Wilson, who has coached the boys tennis team since the 2018-19 school year, obviously has had an impact, given the success at LCD, which includes team and individual accomplishments. Among them, the Cougars won the Lancaster- Lebanon League and District Three Class 2A titles the last two years, as well as a PIAA title and runner-up finish. Nile Abadir, who graduated after last season, won the last three L-L and district 2A titles and had top four finishes at states. Wilson, who was also an assistant boys and girls tennis coach at Hempfield from 2005-09, hardly takes the bulk of the credit.
“First and foremost, it’s the players and coaches behind them,” he said. “There’s a village that really helps develop these kids. I get to work with them through the school tennis season and a little bit through the offseason. But for the most part, they work on their own and with their club coaches.
“I’m just trying to meet the players where they were, kind of see what things they do really well and things they needed help in. ... I always ask the boys to assess themselves and evaluate themselves after every match. What did you do well, what didn’t go well. ... I think that gives us a diagram of what needs to happen in practice.”
He added some things about his most recent team.
“They just bought into a vision,” he said. “I told some of the better players, you’re going to be able to have some individual accolades, which is great. But if you really want to learn the game and you really want to have fun and you really want to do something to set yourself apart, what it is going to be is you helping other players.
“And I said, if you’re willing to do that, you’re going to become a better player yourself. You’re going to have more fun as a team and you’re going to go on and play more tennis because the more success we have, the more opportunities you’re going to have.”
With the award, Wilson is also in line for more honors, with regional and national awards yet to be announced.
