After a successful boys’ season, Coach Hudak was given the Coach of the Year award for the NCC conference. This award spotlights Coach Hudak’s hard work as a coach and the team’s success. These boys were hungry and learned how to win. The boys’ tennis team made a deep playoff run in a tough sectional, which became a staple of their season. The highlight of their run was the defeat of rival Crown Point. Just a year earlier, they had lost in this same scenario. This year’s turnaround displays the growth of both the team and Coach Hudak.
When I talked to him, Coach Hudak made it apparent that he felt more “self-imposed pressure” after the loss to Crown Point last year, especially with a team he believed could win this season. It took some soul-searching and reflection after the tough loss. It was back to the drawing board, and some decisions had to be made. Coach Hudak said he made changes to the lineup that the team didn’t agree with at first, but their trust in him eventually backed him up.
Coach Hudak also brought in Lowell’s former athletic director, Mr. Bales, not to be confused with Dr. Bales, who served as an assistant coach on Hudak’s staff. Mr. Bales was a huge mental factor for the team, Coach Hudak said. These decisions helped propel the team’s success, but behind closed doors, Coach Hudak holds values of his own that strengthen the team and its culture.
Coach Hudak believes in a “lead by example” form of leadership. Anything he requires of his players, you can guarantee he will do alongside them. In the weight room, he lifts with them, and any books he assigns, he reads too. It’s a core value he believes in and a principle he weaves into the team’s culture.
Coach Hudak is most proud of this award because it is chosen by his peers. They see the culture he has created and his commitment as a coach. To him, being a coach means more than just winning. He wants to build young men. It means a lot when he sees a former player out in public, they start talking, and that player has become a successful member of society.
Looking ahead to next year, Coach Hudak plans to spend more time conditioning his team for the long weeks filled with matches.
