LYNN — Lynn Classical’s girls tennis team is under new leadership with Pat Mulcahy coaching the Rams this spring. Mulcahy, who has played tennis since he was 4 years old, brings a wealth of experience to the court.
“I played all through high school and I played at the club level at UConn. I have coached tennis since I was 16,” said Mulcahy, who teaches social studies at Classical. “I’ve coached tennis since I was able to get the first job.”
His favorite part about coaching is watching his players develop and, perhaps more importantly, form bonds that will last a lifetime.
“I love when you get brand new players into the game or you get kids to get to the next level. It’s a game you can play your entire life as long as your body lets you,” Mulcahy said. “ It’s a social sport.”
Mulcahy used to teach in The Bronx, but the demand wasn’t there for him to be a coach.
“I wanted to get back into coaching. I haven’t coached in the last three years. I’m brand new to Massachusetts and to Lynn. I was teaching in the Bronx in New York City for the last three years before this and tennis wasn’t really a big thing,” he said. “Before that, I taught in Connecticut for six years and coached each year. I was really excited to get back into coaching, so when I saw the Classical job open up, I thought it was perfect.”
When asked about his approach to coaching, Mulcahy talked about making the program more competitive.
“We’re trying to build some discipline and build a team that can be competitive,” he said. “A lot of kids haven’t played a lot of tennis, so we’re moving in the right direction.”
To become more competitive, you need good players. Luckily for Mulcahy, he has one of the top players on the North Shore in Amber Sotomayor.
“She’s a sophomore and last year, as a freshman, she went undefeated and I think she lost just five total games the entire season. Not sets – games,” Mulcahy said. “She’s definitely one of the best players on the North Shore. She’s a guaranteed point in every match, so as long as she’s there and healthy, we’re getting on the board.”
With Sotomayor, it’s also about leading by example, according to Mulcahy.
“The kids love to watch her and this is something for them to aspire to. She’s a nice demonstration of if you work hard at this, you could get there,” Mulcahy said. “They get to see her every day – working hard. They see her hitting the ball, they can watch her footwork, and they get to see all the parts that make her such a high-level player.”
Another strong athlete is Diana Quach, a second singles player.
“She’s been great,” Mulcahy said. “She’s had a couple of wins. Usually, in our 3-2 losses, she’s the one getting our second point. She’s our No. 2 singles player.”
Captains are Emma Field and Mary Pean, both of whom have shown great leadership qualities.
“They’ve been really good communicators for some of the newer players. We have a whole JV team, even though there’s no schedule or opponents for them. We have a varsity practice and then we have two days a week when we have 15 kids come for JV practice. They’re players who haven’t played before,” Mulcahy said. “I did a fundraiser and got a bunch of stuff like rackets for them to use, so we are teaching a whole separate team how to play. The captains have formed a bond with the JV members and showed them how to behave, how to participate, how to keep score, etc.”
Assisting Mulcahy is Coach Michelle McEwen, who brings more collegiate experience.
“She’s a teacher at Harrington (Elementary) School. She played college tennis at Salem State,” Mulcahy said. “She’s been a really good addition and has an ability to connect with the girls.”
The rebuilding Rams remain winless through four matches, but Classical could still reach the state tournament as the season continues.
