EDWARDSVILLE – To put on an event like the recent USTA Edwardsville Futures tennis tournament Presented by the EGHM Foundation takes the effort of many, many people.
Tournament director and Edwardsville High School tennis coach Dave Lipe is the point man for what goes on throughout the week of the tournament, but Lipe had some tremendous help from his assistants for the tournament – assistant tournament directors Emily Cimarolli and Jack Desse.
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Both have played tennis previously – Cimarolli played at Belleville Althoff and at McKendree University in Lebanon while Desse was a standout on recent Edwardsville High boys tennis teams and played for two years at SIU-Edwardsville before the school recently dropped its men's tennis program.
Both Cimarolli and Desse still enjoy the opportunity to remain involved with tennis.
“I volunteered six years ago (to help with the tournament) six years ago when it got started,” Cimarolli said, “just to help Dave out with the tournament and it led into something bigger. Every year since, I've sat at the tournament desk and run it for Dave. I like doing it; it's great to see all these players coming out from all over the world to Edwardsville, Ill., and it's such a high-caliber level of tennis.
“Just to be able to be a part of it and to help them out and make sure they have what they need for their matches makes it all worthwhile.”
Cimarolli now helps Lipe coach the Tiger girls tennis team as well as conducting clinics and lessons during the school year when she's not teaching first grade at Nelson Elementary School.
“I liked that tennis was an individual sport and a team sport as far as the high school aspect goes,” Cimarolli said about what brought her to tennis. 'individually, as a junior growing up, there weren't many kids my age from the Belleville area that played, so I think being able to travel in St. Louis and Missouri Valley (the USTA's region) by myself (gave her) a lot of confidence, and then once I got to high school, having a team to play on and play for and having other teammates that shared the same qualities and goals, that was nice also.
“You definitely learn a lot both ways, individually and as a team, especially with the high school matches we play.”
Desse served as a media liaison for the tournament, helping to arrange interviews with players by area media outlets and also conducted post-match interviews with players, especially following the semifinals and finals.
Desse, who had played at SIUE before the men's program was dropped, enjoyed his job as media liaison for the tournament; it gave him a different look at tennis. “I'm enjoying it,” Desse said. “I get to be a part of a sport I grew up playing still, even though I'm not out on the court; I get to watch a lot of good tennis and it's helpful to have somebody involved with the media that knows a lot about tennis. It's a good fit.”
Desse is majoring in pre-dental at SIUE, but being the media liaison got Desse, in his words, “out there and get some experience in something other than biology and chemistry. It's pretty fun; you get to be creative, take pictures and stuff and watch a lot of good tennis; it's a good deal.”
Desse admitted the recent dropping of the men's tennis program at SIUE due to budget cuts was a stunning move. “I was pretty shocked; I knew the state was in a bit of a financial crisis but I didn't expect SIUE would have to cut any programs,” Desse said, “especially athletic programs because of that. I'm going to keep going to school and focus on my grades a little bit more now.”
Desse's parents met on the tennis court, so tennis has been a family tradition. “It's been sort of a family thing,” Desse said. “My grandpa actually had a tennis court put into his backyard and we used to live next door, so I'd just go over there and play whenever I wanted; I pretty much grew up playing (tennis).”
Working with Lipe has been has been a rewarding experience. “I love working with Dave,” Cimarolli said. “He's done a tremendous job building such a great program here at Edwardsville High School and I knew from when I was in high school that if there was ever a program I was going to work with, it was going to be with Dave.
“This (the tournament) is a great summer thing to do; it keeps me out on the court and keeps me busy; being a teacher, I like to have a set schedule of what I'm doing. These 10-12 days of the tournament give me that set schedule before the school year starts.”
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Feeney, 56, is a native of Granite City and graduated from Granite City South in 1978. He was a part-time writer for the old Granite City Journal from 1979-84 before attending Eastern Illinois University in Charleston,
from which he earned his BA in journalism in 1988. He has worked for newspapers in Sikeston, Mo., Rocky Mount, N.C., Seneca, S.C. and in Charleston-Mattoon. He also worked for the old St. Clair County Suburban
Journals.
