Coaches frequently sought me out to comment on how our players go above and beyond to do the right thing and how wonderful the kids are in terms of being fair and kind. The kids know our expectations and rise to them. This is the best life lesson they can gain from tennis. I’m very proud of their behavior on and off the court.”

Coach Lauren Shields

TORRINGTON – Each week throughout the Wyoming high school tennis season, head coach Lauren Shields submitted a detailed report to the Telegram outlining the accomplishments of all the players on her team. The reports always came in – sometimes running several pages – regardless of Shields’ busy work and coaching schedule during the week. 

The Torrington High School tennis team demonstrated improvement over the course of the season, culminating with the varsity boys’ squad clinching fourth place at the South Conference regional tournament in Green River the third week of September.

The postseason also resulted in tennis coaches from across the region honoring Shields as the 2024 conference boys’ tennis coach of the year.

“It feels good to be validated for the time and effort (put into coaching),” Shields said. “But this award speaks to the time the boys put into the season and finishing fourth at regionals. This is a compliment to them.”

The 2024 season marked Shields’ third as head coach. She served as an assistant for one year previous to taking the reins of the program.

Tennis runs deep in Shields’ family and she played the sport year round at Kelly Walsh High School. Shields also began coaching while still in high school, leading youth soccer teams in Casper. She then worked as an assistant tennis coach at the University of Idaho in Moscow.

Shields decided to take up coaching the sport she loved once again while working for Goshen County School District No. 1.

“I was excited to coach tennis again,” Shields added.

Coaching tennis at a 3A school comes with challenges, especially when the Blazers and Lady Blazers play larger 4A programs that have the ability to play tennis all year instead of only in the fall.

Shields’ leadership philosophy was inspired by longtime tennis coach Mary Perkins and centers on instilling integrity, tennis etiquette and honesty in each athlete. 

Tennis matches lack referees. As a result, players are primarily responsible for enforcing rules and calls, Shields explained. For this reason, fostering sportsmanship in the sport is crucial.

Torrington’s singles and doubles players gained a reputation across the region for fairness and respect this season. The Lady Blazers No. 2 doubles team was nominated for a sportsmanship award.

“Coaches frequently sought me out to comment on how our players go above and beyond to do the right thing and how wonderful the kids are in terms of being fair and kind,” Shields said. “The kids know our expectations and rise to them. This is the best life lesson they can gain from tennis. I’m very proud of their behavior on and off the court.”

Coaching high school sports involves a significant time commitment, even in the off season when tennis players gather for open court for hours each week. The rewards may not always be immediately apparent, particularly for a smaller school competing against larger programs from Casper and Cheyenne, Shields added.

Shields continues to come back to coach because of the positive relationships she builds with student athletes in a different role from her official status as the school district’s psychologist.

“As a coach, I regained my love for the game,” Shields said. “I want to share that love for tennis with everybody else.”

Shields credited her assistant coaches, Andrea Matlock and Curtis Birkley, for playing a role in the team’s success. She also thanked Mary Perkins and John Kelly for building the foundation for the tennis program in Torrington and gave a shoutout to volunteer coaches Curtis Shields and Jorey Asmus for helping run practices and summer open courts.

Shields expressed gratitude to each of the players on her team.

“The dedication that the team has to the sport and their ability to be positive when they are not always getting the outcomes they wanted says a lot about their character.