Penn's risk on Leary 19 years ago paid off

Nineteen years ago, at a junior national tournament, Penn women's tennis coach Cissie Leary was approached by a gentleman from Penn who had a problem. Ann Wetsel, who retired just a few years ago as the Quakers women's squash coach, was at that time in charge of both the women's squash and women's tennis teams, and the administration at Penn thought it would be in its best interests to hire a separate coach for the latter. The 22-year-old Leary, fresh out of college, was approached for the position, and, after an interview and a look at her resume, she was hired. As a first-time head coach, not much could have been expected of her. Despite an admirable career as a player, she was younger than some of the seniors on the team, and her lack of experience must have raised some doubts. The concerns were relieved, however, as Leary quickly built the team into an Eastern power. Twenty years, 16 winning teams and several team titles later, it is fair to say that she has taken the women's tennis program here at Penn to a whole new level. "It was a lot different back than," Leary said. "It wasn't nearly as competitive. The team now is just an example of how far women's sports have come in general." Before arriving at Penn, Leary played four years at Rollins in Florida, where her team was consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country. As a senior, she was voted her school's top athlete and was inducted into Rollins' athletic hall of fame. Since her graduation, Leary has coached teams in several national and international tournaments all over the world. She coached U.S. teams in three separate Maccabiah Games in 1981, '85 and '89 and has helped coach Middle States junior players in the national intersectional championships for the past 11 years. Aside from coaching, Leary has served on both the NCAA national and ITA regional tennis committees. Despite all those accomplishments, her success at Penn is what she takes pride in the most. In 1982, her team took the EITA title and was the runner-up for the same tournament in 1985. Her team went undefeated in dual meets from 1981 to 1985 and is consistently ranked as one of the top teams in the Eastern region. In spite of her remarkable credentials, it is Leary's style of coaching, more than anything else, that endears her to many of her players. "She played a large part in my coming to Penn," Quakers co-captain Lara Afanassiev said. "I wanted a laid-back coach, and she makes the game fun." Sophomore Karen Ridley, who first met Leary when she played under her at Middle States, agreed. "She provides a good balance," Ridley said. "She's pretty intense and wants us to do well, but she knows that academics are first priority." "You have to put things in perspective," Leary said. "We're not a breeding ground for the pros, but we have a great program. It's important to me that we play well, but it's important for them to enjoy the experience." Leary has proved that a coach's easy-going nature does not necessarily breed lazy players. "You don't have to be a drill sergeant," Leary said. "It's really just a matter of respect." Despite having several opportunities over the past 20 years to accept coaching positions0 elsewhere, Leary has had no desire to move on. "I love it here," she said. "My alumni are really special to me. I love the kids and feel that I'm lucky to be able to do something that I enjoy." What was first deemed a risky move by Penn now looks like a stroke of genius. And Leary has no plans of giving up the one and only collegiate coaching job she has held. "As long as I'm effective?," Leary said. "If I'm not doing the job, I'll quit. But I still enjoy it, and I hope to keep enjoying it for as long as I can." If the players or the administration have anything to say about it, that will likely be at least another 20 years.