All He Does is Win: Tennis Coach Andrew Gibbs Receives NFSHA Midwest Coach of the Year Award

Then-seven-year-old Andrew Gibbs sat waiting for his sister’s soccer game to end. He was bored. Desperate to find something to fill his time with, he and a friend wandered to a nearby park, where he found tennis courts with an abandoned racket and tennis balls all over the ground, almost as if they were waiting to be hit. Him and his friend decided to try it out.

That was the first of many days Gibbs would spend playing tennis. He and that same friend started consistently hitting the ball back and forth between one another that day. They would bike to each other’s houses on the daily, head to the park and play for hours. 

His seven-year-old self would’ve never believed that day would lead him to one day being named National Federation of High School Selection Coach of the Year.

As Gibbs grew older, he joined his town’s version of a Junior Tennis League, before continuing this passion in high school. 

High school tennis was important to Gibbs, but the team wasn’t into it like Gibbs was. Gibbs and his high school teammates were strong individually, but as a team the success rate was non-existent, losing every team match for as long as he could remember. That was until Gibbs’ junior year of high school when their tennis team broke their losing streak of four years and finally won — altogether. 

“Growing up surrounded and playing with competitive higher-skilled tennis players, that’s when I would grow the most,” Gibbs said.

While Gibbs always loved tennis, he also loved English, one of his passions along with teaching, coaching and tennis. Teaching was always what he wanted to do with his career, and he decided he wanted to pursue a degree in English. His love for the subject has stuck with him, as he currently teaches English 4, AP Literature and IB Theory of Knowledge at East. 

Teaching gave Gibbs a new opportunity — coaching high school tennis. While at East, Gibbs has been the girls and boys head coach for the past six years, and he was the assistant coach for a year before that. For Gibbs, coaching has always doubled with teaching.

The team’s motivation to stay consistent and perform well is the reason that Gibbs enjoys coaching as much as he does. Being able to share a love for something with his students and players is what makes it above all special.

“I enjoy seeing them have a place to be a part of something,” Gibbs said. “And getting to provide that place is the best feeling.”

When reflecting on his years coaching, Gibbs realizes that his experience with tennis as a child combined with his coaching experience at East has changed his perspective on life. When he first walked into practice, he thought that everyone would be at nearly the same skill level, but according to Gibbs, he very quickly realized that everyone was coming in with different skill sets and experiences with the sport. 

Seeing the wide range of talent motivated Gibbs to dedicate himself to each and every student who was willing to work for it. For him, it didn’t matter what team they were on. Whether it was JV or varsity, he was willing to give them a positive mind set in the hopes to help find the same love for tennis he had discovered so young.

Senior Bridget Epstein has been a member of varsity, and one of the top six players on the team since her freshman year. Her connection with Gibbs has grown ever since they first met freshman year when she started playing tennis for East.

“Gibbs believes in us,” Epstein said. “He wants us to do the best we can, but not under the pressure other coaches would give, this is why he’s such a great coach.”

East’s state team has won three years in a row, and picking the six players who participate in it is one of the most important parts of Gibbs’ role. It’s the most competitive part of the year and a huge validation of the team’s hard work, according to Epstein.

Being a part of varsity tennis along with the top six players on the team all four years throughout high school is something that she is very grateful for, according to Epstein. It made her realize how difficult Gibbs’ job really is with everyone on tennis being strongly-skilled. Getting to have the opportunity to be a part of the top six made her work that much harder to keep improving and to keep her spot on the team.

“You need to be thankful for every match you get the opportunity for,” Epstein said.  “You have to play like it’s your last each time.”

During December of 2021, Gibbs was overly surprised to have received the NFHS Coach of the Year award for girls tennis. The Midwest states include Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. Though the selection of this award was a long process, Gibbs was shocked due to the other coaches in the running with excellent success.

 According to Gibbs, the award shows a recognition of the program, players and families supporting, rather than a recognition of himself as an individual. 

“The whole team and I were very happy for Coach Gibbs,” junior and varsity tennis player Greta Stechshulte said. “Gibbs is the most deserving person for this award, his dedication for sharing the love he has for tennis projects throughout the whole team.”

The NFHS Coach of the Year award was a great way to show off Gibbs and everything he does for the East and overall tennis community, according to Stechshulte.

High school tennis can be a lonely sport, playing singles out on the court by yourself, according to Epstein. But, to her, having a coach there for you in general as well as hitting tennis balls with you while you’re practicing, is what makes tennis so much more enjoyable for her and everyone else.

“Reasons like these are why Coach Gibbs is the most deserving person for the NFHS Coach of the Year award,” Epstein said.