Rob Schiff, in his first year as the girls’ tennis coach at Dos Pueblos, is transitioning into navigating the coaching side and keeping up with teaching AVID.

Schiff started his coaching journey by playing sports. As a high school student, he was involved in extracurricular activities and greatly influenced by his dad. He played a variety of sports but focused on basketball.

Through his influences, and love of sports, he became the girl’s tennis coach. “My dad was a teacher and a coach when I was a little kid, and so I always have loved sports. I really love all aspects of sports, playing, coaching, observing, strategizing, and officiating,” Schiff said.

Schiff restarted his coaching career with girl’s tennis; he had initially been coaching other sports over the years but had taken a break for four years, deciding to come back to coaching once again this year.

After high school, he majored in media and written communications at Westmont College, pursuing a career that led him to work in a sports radio station for a year. Later on, Schiff went on to pursue other jobs. Schiff is also the sports announcer at all of DP’s home varsity football games and has been the announcer at basketball, baseball, and volleyball games.

“I just enjoy being around sports. I enjoy being around student-athletes and trying to do everything that I can do to get them to be at their best. And, you know, sports teach a lot of really positive life lessons. So I just enjoy having that opportunity again,” Schiff said.

After being surrounded by sports throughout his life, he got to be reinvolved in sports this year. For Schiff, coaching tennis this year has had its challenges.

“It’s really hard during the season, I’m missing almost two days a week with my seniors, so this is a really critical time for them with college applications and scholarships…so I want to make sure that I’m doing the best I can to set them up for success throughout their lives,” Schiff said. Schiff has been faced with juggling his time between teaching AVID and coaching tennis, striving to equally manage the classes in order to set them up for success.

“I know the game really well, but I have never coached tennis before,” Schiff said. “I knew I would have to learn some new things, so it’s just been a process of figuring out how I think things should be structured, to give us the best chance to reach our potential.”
Schiff said his favorite part of coaching tennis is the matches, “It’s really fun to try to come up with a strategy that you think best serves your team and gives them the best chance to perform at their best and then to see if they can execute that strategy.”

Tennis has gone 6-1 this season, and 5-1 in League. The players and coaches are aspiring to make it to the playoffs while reaching their potential.

Schiff’s normal day starts with heading up to the courts, gathering all the equipment necessary, getting the girls started on warmups, starting practice with drills, figuring out the lineup, practicing together to get familiarized with each others’ game, and more.

He has come across new experiences and has been navigating challenges but through coaching girl’s tennis he has been enjoying each aspect tennis has to offer.

Photo Caption: The head Varsity Tennis Coach, AVID, and Work Education teacher, Rob Schiff shares his experience and the transition to the new role of tennis coach.