Varsity
Lew Stival, Head Coach

Junior Varsity
Rod Gerdsen, Head Coach

The boys’ tennis season runs from April through mid-May.

Blair Tennis
For nearly a century, Blair has maintained a rich tradition in boys’ tennis, fielding competitive teams and producing scores of fine players, many of whom have gone on to have successful careers at the collegiate level. From the unbeaten 1930 team that scored shutout victories over the Princeton University Freshmen and the Lawrenceville School, to Frank Hammond ’48, who starred at Yale and went on to become the legendary chair umpire whose fiery presence helped to make many of the great matches between Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe all the more memorable, to the solid and consistent teams of recent years, Blair Tennis is indeed alive and well.

The Blair Tennis Center
The fall of ’07 marked the opening of the Blair Tennis Center, a beautiful 10-court facility that ranks as one of the finest schoolboy facilities in the Northeast. With 10 Deco Turf II courts (the same as those as the U.S. Tennis Center), five of which are lighted, the team has the opportunity to play on a wonderful facility. In addition, our spacious new Tennis House includes locker rooms, a coaches’ office, storage and a second-floor balcony overlooking the courts. The patio that surrounds the Tennis House provides a perfect spot for watching tennis.

The Coach
A former USPTA professional and club pro, Lew Stival has been at the helm of Blair Boys’ Tennis for 20 years. The New Jersey Herald Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1992, Lew has been coaching high school tennis for nearly 30 years and has had the chance to work with players at all levels. Many of his former players have continued with the sport after Blair, and two former players—Todd Smith ’90 and Ryan Pagotto ’98, currently the Blair Varsity Girls’ Coach—have come back to coach with Lew at Blair. As the longtime Dean of College Counseling and co-author of the book, Understanding Athletic Recruiting: The Complete Guide for the Student Athlete, Lew is uniquely qualified to help his players find appropriate colleges to fit their talents and interests.

The Mid Atlantic Prep League
Blair Academy is a proud member of the Mid Atlantic Prep League (MAPL), a conference committed to providing the very best of athletic competition and adhering to the highest standards of sportsmanship. Along with The Peddie School, The Hun School and The Lawrenceville School from New Jersey, in addition to Pennsylvania schools Mercersburg Academy and The Hill School, the MAPL is regarded as one of the most competitive athletic conferences in the country, and tennis is no exception.

The NEMA
Established at Blair Academy in 1997 and in 2006 moved to The McDonogh School in Baltimore, MD, the New England/Mid Atlantic Tennis Tournament (NEMA) is one of the premier schoolboy tournaments in the East. Each year, 16 teams from as far away as Ohio, Massachusetts and Virginia converge to compete during this two-day tournament. The NEMA is a great way for our players to compete against some outstanding players from other parts of the country.

The ’08 Outlook
With six returning letter winners, led by senior captain Will Neff, and the addition of some new and talented players, the ’08 squad has the chance to be competitive in the MAPL. Other letter winners returning include juniors David Sobel (Pennington, NJ), Chad Clairmont (New York, NY); sophomores Cole Agin (Columbia, NJ), Dong-Hyun Kim (Gangnam-gu, KOREA), Dennis Lee (Seoul, KOREA), and Saul Sparber (Franklin Lakes, NJ). In addition, there are a few other young men—sophomores Alex Lee (Short Hills, NJ) and Keunrak Kang ’10 (Philadelphia, PA) and freshman Eric Timken ’11 (Lafayette, CA) who show strong potential to contribute in the future. With a strong non-conference schedule, the ’08 season should be both competitive and exciting.

return to top