Mike Hingston, the renowned coach of the Parkland girls tennis team, is on the verge of making a significant decision. He isn't entirely sure yet if the 2024 season will be his last in this coaching role. "We don't know yet; a final decision hasn't been made," he said. "But I am leaning that way. After 42 years, it's about time."
Leaving a Lasting Impact
If Hingston were to leave, he would leave a huge void to fill. Although girls tennis may not receive the same level of notoriety as other sports, particularly in the fall when football overshadows everything else on a high school campus, Parkland tennis stands out as one of the area's most successful programs.Before Hingston took over, the Trojans had achieved some success under coaches like Paula Kaunitz and George Grim. However, under Hingston's leadership, Parkland's legacy in the sport has been enhanced significantly.In just the past four seasons alone, Parkland has won four Eastern Pennsylvania Conference regular-season titles, four EPC tournament titles, four District 11 team championships. Additionally, they had two doubles district champs and Lexie Warsing won this past year's district singles gold. Overall, since 2014, his teams have an impressive record of 158 - 20.What Makes Him Successful
Warsing, a standout player, attributes Hingston's success to several factors. "In practice, he gives 100% to everyone. He cares about us as individuals, not just tennis players. He has a unique relationship with each of us. For example, I am trying to learn Spanish; so whenever I was playing he only talked to me in Spanish. He doesn't just count numbers and say 'You're No. 1, you're No. 2.' He does get to know us and the support he gives is unbelievable."Hingston is a native of Williamstown, New Jersey, near Atlantic City. He came to the Lehigh Valley as a student-athlete at Moravian College, where he played tennis under Ted Zawacki and Jim Walker and met his wife, Marie.He spent more than 30 years teaching and coaching in New Jersey, working at Williamstown High School and High Point Regional. He was involved in various sports, including track, basketball, soccer, and tennis."There was always two seasons in a school year for me; sometimes three," he said.After retiring from teaching and coaching and living in the Lehigh Valley, he saw an opening for a boys tennis coach at Parkland in 2012 and took on the role. Two years later, he added the girls post.Coaching Philosophy
Regardless of where he coached, Hingston had the same basic philosophy. "I wanted my kids to focus on the process and not the outcome. I tried to make it so they don't feel the pressure because there is an expectation here. We don't talk about winning until, maybe, after the fact. Everybody wants to win, obviously, but we just talk about rising to the occasion when the match is the most important. There has been an emphasis on just trying to play our best tennis and if it doesn't work, we'll shake hands and move on. I always tell the kids that the biggest point is the next point and that's kind of my philosophy whether it's tennis or life. It's always about what's next."Legacy Players
His 2024 team had what Hingston likes to call "legacy players." "I call them that because they've left a legacy, not only in terms of success but a blueprint of how to do things," he said. "I want the kids to be great teammates, great leaders. I want them to take care of the little things; things behind the scenes that might make a team more cohesive."An Amazing Experience
He described his time at Parkland as "an amazing experience." "And not just because of the success, but because the kids are great. There's no worm in the apple here. These are just genuine kids. Lexie Warsing is one of many who are like that. They have rigorous school schedules and they're dancers, they're singers, they're actors, they do all kinds of things. They volunteer their time in the community, and most importantly, they're great students trying to get into top colleges. I don't know how they find all the time in the day to do what they do. They're just very well-rounded individuals and they've been a pleasure to be around."If he doesn't come back, Hingston said he'll miss the kids. "If it was up to me they'd be taking me out of here feet first," he said. "I would stay here forever. But nobody does anything forever. It's a bittersweet thing. It's a difficult decision to make, but whatever I do I will be at peace with it and thankful for the time I've had here."
