The College of Lake County men's tennis team holds their trophy after winning the NJCAA Region IV tennis meet. | Photo provided by College of Lake County Athletics
The College of Lake County men's tennis team holds their trophy after winning the NJCAA Region IV tennis meet. | Photo provided by College of Lake County Athletics
Retirement has been anything but quiet for College of Lake County tennis Coach Jim Love.
A former high school principal, Love has spent the last four years as the college’s men and women’s tennis coach, capping off the most recent season with a men’s National Junior College Athletic Association Region IV title. The win qualified the team for the national championship, where it placed 26th overall.
“It was the men’s goal to qualify for the national tournament,” Love said. “We were fortunate to have a large group of players that played on high school teams. They started working hard in the fall. We practiced once or twice in the winter. They got better. When spring came they were motivated, and they achieved their goal in the spring. It was a great feeling.”
Jim Love
Love spent 15 years as a high school tennis coach and took over coaching duties at Lake County after one of the faculty mentioned to him that there was an opening.
The best part, he said, is the students.
“They are wonderful and are respectful,” Love said. “They are hardworking, and they value their education very much. The players are motivated. They come in with a desire to play and improve their tennis. They are nice young people just working hard. They bring a lot of enthusiasm to playing tennis.”
Love graduated from the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, earning an associate of arts degree. While there he qualified for the NJCAA national tournament and earned a scholarship to play at Northwestern University.
Coaching tennis has always been a part of Love’s life. He coached the boys and girls teams at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, winning multiple conference, sectional and state championships.
Love is also a certified tennis pro at the Libertyville Club, where he gives private lessons to all ages.
“I’m all over the place,” Love said. “I teach from 3- to 4-year-olds up to adults. I teach elementary kids to junior high and high school. One fun thing about tennis is that it’s for all ages. It is a sport you can play as you get older.”
Alerts Sign-up