By RYAN WALKER
Twenty-one years ago, Robert Vanderkolk took over a program he once played for. He was named head coach of the Bluffton Tigers boys’ tennis team.
Twenty-one years later, he has his 200th career win.
The Tigers defeated the Norwell Knights in a grinding 3-2 win to accomplish the feat for their head coach.
Vanderkolk, a man known for speaking his mind and quick-witted comments, was at times struggling to find the words to say when talking about 200 wins.
“It means I’ve been doing this for too long,” Vanderkolk said. “It’s just a testament to the work the guys do. I’m a very small piece to the puzzle.”
It couldn’t have come at a better time, beating the county rival that he grew up competing against and now coaching against. The win got his team to an 8-4 record and hungry for its third-straight ACAC title and hopes to win the team’s first sectional in over a decade.
But as much as Vanderkolk himself is thirsty for more hardware, his reflection of why he coaches tennis outweighs everything.
“I don’t do this for the money,” Vanderkolk said. “I don’t do this for the personal glory. I just enjoy being around the guys on a daily basis. The fact that the school district and the community has supported me for 21 years while I do this means more to me than the 200 wins. Hopefully, that’s not the last win.”
ryan@news-banner.com
