Arlington Heights coach remembered as 'father of high school tennis'

The man people called the "father of high school tennis" passed away this week in Arlington Heights.

Ken Schaller, a longtime tennis coach at Arlington High School and a nationally ranked player himself, died on Friday. He was 86.

"The success of tennis programs in this area is a direct result of all of Ken's efforts, from his development of players to his passion for the game," says Gary Brodnan, who coached with Mr. Schaller at Arlington before moving to Prospect High School.

"You have to remember, he coached at a time when there were no teaching pros or private coaches working with the players during their off-season," Brodnan added. "Ken did it all."

Former Daily Herald sports columnist Bob Frisk agreed, calling Schaller, "Mr. Tennis," for his pivotal role in building the sport in this area.

"The fact that the Northwest suburbs hosts both girls and boys IHSA state tennis tournaments," Frisk adds, "is a credit to people like Schaller and the coaches that came after him."

Mr. Schaller spent 30 years as a history, social studies and English teacher at Arlington, including serving as department chairman for the history and foreign language department from 1965 until the school closed in 1984.

When he stepped up to coach its tennis team in 1952, it was a fledgling group with flagging interest, Brodnan says. But by 1964, he had led the team to an Illinois state championship. His team also boasted winning the state doubles title three straight years.

Mr. Schaller handed the head coaching duties over to Tom Pitchford - for whom the state tennis tournament now is named - whose varsity boys tennis team won 113 consecutive matches in the Mid-Suburban League over the next 10 years and even drew a mention in Sports Illustrated when it hit 100.

The foundation Mr. Schaller built in area tennis was not lost on state sports officials, who inducted him into the Illinois High School Tennis Hall of Fame.

In retirement, Mr. Schaller found more time to play the game himself. He played competitively in U.S. Tennis Association matches, first in singles, where he was ranked nationally in 70s men's singles, and in doubles, where he won the Midwest sectional title with his partner, Jack Cavanaugh, in 2004, at age 80.

"He was a great finesse player," Cavanaugh says. "He could analyze his opponents' weaknesses and place his shots effectively. He just had this great love of the game that was contagious when you played with him."

Mr. Schaller is survived by his wife of 57 years, Marjorie, as well as his daughter Nora (Tamon) Green. Funeral services will take place 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Glueckert Funeral Home, 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights.