Tennisteamquits;citesdifferenceswithcoach

by Ron D'Orazio sports editor

Frustrated by their current losing season and their head coach, Reggie Day, the men's tennis team turned their uniforms into the athletic department. As the team handed their uniforms to athletic directors John Dzik and Leslie Danehy, they ended the 1999 season.

According to sophomore team captain Pete Pietranik, the 'learn made the decision to quit last Thursday, after a match against West Chester University, a Division II school. Pietranik said that coach Day berated the team for a lack of heart and for starting the match too early.

According to Pietranik, the team started the match with West Chester early due to the 80-degree heat and an agreement with the opposing coach. Day, a teacher, was not able to make the first part of the match due to school.

Pietranik said that while the team was riding home, they decided that it was time to either quit or play under the circumstances. The whole team came to the decision that it was best to stop the season.

According to sophomore Dave Patel, the team's problems were ongoing and everything came to a halt after the West Chester match.

According to Patel, one problem that surfaced between the team and Day was Day's handling of a situation with first-year player Scott Sawicki.

Sawicki left practice on the Tuesday before the match to get X-rays for an injured hand. Sawicki asked his teammates to inform a late-corning Day about his injury.

Patel said that Day laid into Sawicki for missing practice and not calling him. Day then cut him from the team, angering the rest of the team.

According to first-year player Frank Plum, the team made their decision once Sawicki was cut.

The team turned in their shirts at 1 p.m. on the day after the match. Within three hours, Dzik had called a meeting that would include the players, Day and himself.

According to Dzik, their was an "antagonistic" relationship between the players and the coach.

Pietranik said that the players disclosed all of their problems with Day.

"For the first time, Day had nothing to say," Pietranik said. '·He was speechless."

According to Day, the meeting with Dzik and the on-goings of the team should stay team business. Day said that the events were unfortunate and that things did not work out this season as well as he had hoped. Day, an 11-year coaching veteran at Cabrini, said that every season has its high points and its not-so-high points. "If the circumstances were different, then the way the season turned out might have been different," Day said.

As for the future·of the team, Dzik said, "I will not resurface the team until I have made a full evaluation of the direction of intercollegiate tennis at Cabrini."

Dzik said that he plans to evaluate the players, the coach and other people involved in the situation. Dzik said that the problems are not necessarily the players' or coach's fault, but he supports the players' decision in halting the season.

The empty tennis court signifies the absence of the men's tennis team from play. The team resigned over differences with their coach.

"When the players and the coach do not have fun at the intercollegiate level, then it does not make sense to continue playing," Dzik said.

Plum said, "It was not fun to play for Day."