Jaguars seeing return on investment

One hundred dollars and a few players who had little success and were just happy to be there.

That's what Jan Van Tuyl had when he took over the Desert Pines girls tennis program.

It didn't take long for the veteran coach to invest in the program and for the athletes to invest in him. Now they're reaping the dividends of their hard work and trust.

The Jaguars, who were winless five seasons ago, return six letter winners from a team that finished second in the Sunrise League last season, their second runner-up finish in the last three years.

"They're entering the season expecting to win now," said Van Tuyl, who begins his fifth season with the program and has led the Jaguars to a 29-24 record. "The big thing is having the consistency of having the same coach here from year to year. The second thing is the willingness of the kids to work. That's the combination.

I don't care if you have the most talented kids or if they have no talent, if they're willing to get out there and work, they're going to improve. The program is improving. It's growing."

Van Tuyl inherited a program that didn't have enough players to field a full team in the 2010 season and had a yearly budget of $100, not even enough to buy tennis balls for the team's home matches. He followed a revolving door of coaches and had some players who picked up a racket in August and put it in storage in October, happy to just be part of a team.

Van Tuyl, who began his Clark County School District coaching career in 1969 and still teaches math at Desert Pines, has worked tirelessly to raise funds, build partnerships and get grants. He said his program now has a fund of $2,500.

Sponsors and foundations aren't the only ones who have bought in. The players are practicing year-round. Van Tuyl estimated his team put in 100 to 160 hours of practice time this summer.

"We practice every day, and everyone who comes is so dedicated," said senior Ashley Palacios, the team's No. 1 singles player. "Even when coach tells us to take a day off and that he doesn't want to see us on the court, we just go play on some other courts. We love playing."

During the spring, the Jaguar players teach tennis to elementary school kids. Van Tuyl hopes to get as many as five elementary schools involved eventually as a way of helping his current players stay active and give back to the game and community and continuing to build the program for the future.

"If tennis is the only thing that I teach them, then I'm not a good coach," he said.

He has helped teach the Jaguars how to win. The team went 11-2 last season, 6-1 in the Sunrise League. The losses were an 11-7 setback to league champion Boulder City and a 13-5 loss to Clark in the postseason.

"It's tough to repeat a year like that, but we've put in the work, and now let's see if it pays off," Van Tuyl said.

Seniors Stephanie Aviles, Cecilia Garcia Leon and Veronica Palacios, and juniors Shelly Alvarado and Cassandra Bueno also return for the Jaguars, who hope to contend for a league title and make a postseason run.

"We have higher standards for our team now," Ashley Palacios said. "We just need to really dedicate ourselves and pay attention to what our coach says and try hard."

Contact reporter Bartt Davis at bdavis@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5230.