Meet Head Women's Tennis Coach Paige Yaroshuk
March 21, 2005
Grant Cohen is a University of Miami student in a news journalism class taught by veteran sportswriter Michelle Kaufman. –
Coral Gables, Fla (www.hurricanesports.com) — Potential is often evident early in life.
People take notice of the signs and patterns. They observe and formulate opinions about future successes or failures. They come away with a lasting, first impression.
And those that knew University of Miami women’s tennis coach Paige Yaroshuk in her youth instantly saw the brilliant potential.
“She was without question the most mature and hardest working girls tennis player I’ve ever coached,” said Mike Kypriss, who coached her at Miami`s Killian High School. “Without question she was light years ahead of everybody else. There is just no question, she was in total command.”
Hard work defines the 30-year-old Yaroshuk-Tews. It’s why she’s one of the premiere coaches in the country. And she doesn’t keep the value of hard work to herself. She teaches it, and passes her wisdom to anybody willing to act on her philosophies.
It’s this approach that she takes into each day of her life that developed a team ranked ninth in the nation, enjoying more success than it has since the 1980`s. And this, a program once considered the model of underachievement.
“I think that these girls are able to see that I’m a worker. That’s how I live my life,” she said, while watching her team sweat it out on a hot, balmy Miami day, preparing for its matchup against Florida International.
It hasn’t always been easy to put a solid product on the courts in Coral Gables. Four years ago – when she accepted the promotion from associate head coach to official head coach – the team was in disarray. The talent was there, but something was missing.
“It’s difficult when you come into a program and have girls that are not necessarily workers,” she said. “So over the past few years I’ve added one more worker, one more worker, one more worker. More people that believe in this philosophy and what we’re trying to do.”
THE ROOTS
And no, she’s not superhuman. Wildly impressive, yes, but not a freak of nature. Her undying work ethic has its roots.
It starts with her father. Ernie Yaroshuk dominated the diamond from 1961 to 1963 1961-63, and has since been voted to the UM Hall of Fame. His daughter picked up a tennis racket for the first time when she was seven. She played everything, but after turning 11, he suggested she master one sport and not be average at many. And he instilled the idea that hard work would lead to accomplishments.
“I think growing up in that environment where my parents understood athletics, especially my dad, I was incredibly fortunate,” she said. “It was always, you know, `go out, put in 100% and do your best,’ and you will be successful.”
Nothing changed during her high school career at Killian. Yaroshuk-Tews was a standout prep star in the town she has become a dominant coach. Her peak was being ranked No. 1 in the state, and No. 8 in the country in 1991.
Her coach has one memory that stands out the most. In 1991, the junior voted All-Dade walked into the state tournament and intimidated opponents with shear confidence.
“When we walked in the building – and we had four girls who got full rides on that team – I can remember when we walked in as a group the rest of the teams that were there had so much respect and admiration for us, particularly for Paige. She walked in the front, as the captain. And it was almost like the teams in front of us knew they were not going to win,” Kypriss said.
She went on to play at UCLA, one of the top collegiate athletic programs in the country. She was the No. 2 singles player and No. 1 doubles with some of the best athletes in the world.
Despite her success – she was All-Pac 10 in singles and doubles – she’s not caught up in reminiscing about her success as a player. It is the development of her desire to coach, and ability to do so that she talks about with a passion.
“It was really when I went to UCLA when I learned the impact a coach can have on a group of kids and the change that can be done throughout the course of a college player’s tenure. A lot of the philosophies I learned at UCLA I still use today. That’s the exact time I knew I wanted to go into coaching.”
WELCOME BACK, COACH
After briefly pursuing a professional playing career cut short due to what she describes as “the pains of living out of a duffel bag,” she made her way back home. She came to the school that once recruited to her at the last second, after deciding to pursue other options.
So she’s back, and has put UM on the map. She’s coaching her top-ranked team – one that includes three up-and-coming freshman, along with Megan Bradley, America’s top ranked singles player – and has them enrolled in the Yaroshuk-Tews school of hard work.
Luckily for all of Miami, her recent marriage to Scott Tews assures a long stay. And don’t ask, please. He’s not a tennis player.
“It’s changed my life because my husband has never been involved in athletics,” It’snice for me because it has added a new dimension. It’s something that I was looking forbecause I’m around sports enough. He’s an incredible guy.”
While Yaroshuk-Tews says her happiness and newfound family will keep her in the local area, she’s always sure not to look too far ahead.
“I take it day-by-day,” she said. “I think if you look beyond that it gets a little too confusing. I think by keeping this philosophy of waking up every morning and doing the best you can do, things will work out for the best.”
