Coach still finds the time
Decorated tennis lifer Morse-Karzen still motivating
There are a lot of things 60-year-old Jerry MorseKarzen could do with the little free time he has.
He could play in tennis tournaments, having won championships on the court at several levels of play across the country. He could be at the indoor club he owns in Northbrook, running dayto-day operations and working as a tennis instructor. Or he could just sit back and enjoy life, reflecting on decades of accomplishments both on and off the court.
Instead, Morse-Karzen spends his time on a high school tennis court, trying to teach and motivate teenage girls. As New Trier’s girls tennis coach, he does more than set lineups and arrange practice times. Morse-Karzen is highly involved in all aspects of the team, despite having a pedigree and reputation that would indicate he is too established for the rigors of prep athletics.
“I enjoy working with the kids,’’ Morse-Karzen said. ‘‘They keep me young.
“I really love the team environment of high school tennis. So much of tennis is an individual sport, especially at the tournament level. Being a part of a team, on the bus rides, people cheering for their teammates, all of that is great. Plus I feel I have a lot to offer these girls.”
Morse-Karzen has been affiliated with New Trier for much of his life. He graduated from the school in 1971 after twice being a state singles finalist. He volunteered as an assistant coach for about 20 years, helping out the boys and girls team when his schedule allowed. And he officially became the girls coach in 2000, helping the Trevians win the state title in 2004. But following the 2007 season, he stepped aside.
The job reopened last fall, and Morse-Karzen jumped back in. The Trevians finished third in the state in 2012, and this year they again have a talented team that should challenge for state supremacy.
During all that time, Morse-Karzen opened and runs the North Shore Racquet Club, working as the Director of Tennis. He also has competed in father-son and father-daughter tournaments — as the son with his dad and as father with his kids — winning 27 titles in that format. He has played in Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and French Open, and he was once ranked among the world’s 100 best doubles players.
“Jerry will go down as the best father-son tennis player in the history of our country,” New Trier assistant coach Kerry Hall said. “He really is Mr. Tennis, not only at New Trier, but all across the North Shore, all across Chicago really. What he’s done throughout his career is remarkable.”
Hall said that when MorseKarzen returned to coaching, he was surprised at just how invested the coach was. Not only does Morse-Karzen work to improve his players’ serves and teach proper footwork for a backhand volley, he also organizes post-practice walks to Dairy Queen and carb-loaded dinners prior to important invites.
“He lives and breathes tennis,” Hall said.
“It’s what I do and what I like,” Morse-Karzen said about coaching high school, “and I think I’m fairly good at it.”