JIM PETERS: Hayes keeping old school in style

Old school, I'm glad to say, seems to be making a comeback.

Showing respect, like the Chuck Taylor gym shoe, is back in style.

I've heard more than my fair share of "yes, sirs" and "thank you, sirs," from athletes lately, which is a credit to the coaches who are instilling or reinforcing those values in them.

It's a no-nonsense approach that worked for Gary Hayes since he started coaching boys tennis at West Side in 1969. And it still works 42 years later at Portage, where he heads the Indians boys program.

It's also no coincidence that Hayes has won wherever he's been and whatever he's coached -- tennis at Wirt and Lake Station, and basketball at LS, Purdue Calumet and Calumet College. Had there been class hoops when he was guiding the Eagles, they would've competed for several state titles.

Hayes has also revived Portage, which had fallen out of relevance with the rackets in recent years. The Indians finished their season Friday at 12-6, losing 5-0 to Valparaiso, though they forced the Vikings to work for their victory.

"We have to be realistic," Hayes said. "Our kids don't play as much (tennis) as the Valpo kids, where they come from."

That's been a common theme for Hayes. At each career stop, he has succeeded with less talented and less privileged kids, using a simple, yet effective method of working hard and doing things right. It's an approach that can pay dividends in tennis, particularly at three singles and in doubles, where skill levels tend to range less.

"When I first started (at Portage), I knew what I was up against," Hayes said. "I told them 'we're going to be disciplined and they're going to learn how to take a little criticism.' They were also going to run lines, like a basketball team. It made a difference. The first year, you could see it. Now everybody's buying into it and the word's starting to spread."

As he did with his other tennis teams, Hayes has taken athletes from other sports with little or no background in tennis and made them competitive in a game largely dominated by affluent schools. His varsity, which included five juniors and a sophomore, features kids who play baseball and basketball.

"When (Portage athletic director) Jeff (Smith) called me, I didn't know if I wanted to get back in it," Hayes said, "but once I came out, I've been OK with it."

Likely some time next season, Hayes will hit the 400 mark in career wins as a tennis coach. He's not sure exactly when; he's got to go back and do the math.

"It's not something I really ever paid attention to," he said.

Before then, he might be getting back on another court, the basketball court, as Hayes may join Rick Snodgrass' coaching staff at Portage. If he does, the Indians will be better for it. Guaranteed.

The hair's turned white, but the guy can still coach. Old school style.

This column solely represents the writer's opinion. Reach him at jim.peters@nwi.com.