By Chris Paul
The Londonderry High School tennis program is back on the mend now that the boys’ team was able to put together a six-man roster and two new coaches.
The boys’ team suffered a major loss, three years ago, when their veteran coach Janice Norwesh lost her battle with ovarian cancer.
Norwesh was an amazingly positive person, who loved to compete and that rubbed off on her athletes. She was a fighter right until the end making plans to return to the court to coach her boys while she was in the hospital.
After that loss, the team was able to compete in 2019, but had the season cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. In 2021 there was not enough interest by students, despite having one of the states best tennis players in town.
This year, Londonderry senior Camden Poitras will be able to compete in his final year as a high school athlete with the help of five teammates and two new coaches.
There will be two head coaches this year, one who’s been trying to rejuvenate interest in town for the sport and the other, a LHS alumni that helped the team win a state championship in 2010.
Alex Burbine and Roberta Davis will be co-coaching the boys’ team this spring and they are excited about getting the team ready.
Over the past year Poitras and Davis have been working hard to recruit talent for the 2022 tennis team. They are also fortunate to have Burbine helping out, despite the long commute from Boston, where he currently resides.
Poitras went 8-5 as a freshman on the team and was the team’s number one player that year. This year he has been ranked as the top high school player in the state, according to the U.S. Tennis Association’s ranking. He will be playing Division II tennis in New Jersey after he graduates.
Most recently, Poitras was able to beat his new head coach in the mixed doubles finals, playing with Sue Grasso at the annual Skip Burbine Memorial Tennis Tournament.
Alex Burbine is excited about the new post, “It’s a chance to rebuild the school’s tennis program and continue my dad’s legacy.”
Alex was a junior when he helped the Lancer team win a state title, and his dad Skip Burbine, was a big part of the team’s success.
Skip Burbine also helped coach Camden before he unexpectedly passed away in 2018.
Alex Burbine sees his coaching opportunity as a calling, knowing how much effort his dad put into the sport and the community. He also shares a bond with Camden, where both young men lost their fathers too soon. Poitras’ dad passed in 2016.
Alex also had a strong connection to the team’s previous coach Janis Norwesh. The two were coaching together in the Granite State Kids program.
The 2022 team is now preparing for the spring season in the LHS gym. The team’s first match will take place at home, April 4 against Hanover High School.