Coaching Spotlight: Whitney Kraft, The Hoosac School
Since he was a teenager, Whitney Kraft has embraced the benefits of being around people from all different backgrounds and nationalities. In college, he majored in international business, and prior to that, he spent the summer after he graduated high school traveling around South America which included stops in Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Venezuela.
A longtime fixture in the tennis industry which has included various stops along the way, including a 15-year stint as the Director of Tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, Kraft now serves as the Director of Racquet Sports at The Hoosac School in Hoosick, New York, where he once again finds himself immersed in that international culture.
Founded in 1889, The Hoosac School is a coeducational, college preparatory school that celebrates each student’s individuality in all aspects of their educational life. The school is home to nearly 250 students representing 40 different countries, featuring a collegeesque feel in its classrooms with a low teacher-to-student ratio. The school is home to an array of athletic teams, including boys and girls tennis.
Kraft began working at The Hoosac School last year. He was the head coach of the Men’s and Women’s tennis teams at SUNY Oneonta, and while he was commuting back-and-forth from the college to his Vermont home, he would pass by Hoosac and was intrigued.
“I would drive past it every day. I didn’t know much about the school, but it was this paradisaical campus nestled in the green mountains upstate. It was just a beautiful spot,” Kraft recalls of his first impressions of the school.
Kraft then talked with Eric Rebuhn, the former head coach at St. John’s, who had been involved in the reconstruction of the tennis courts at Hoosac, and put him in touch with one of the coaches at the school. After meeting the Hoosac head coach Virginia Gilroy at a UTR tournament in Vermont, Gilroy asked Kraft if he knew someone who could help out as an assistant coach.
“I helped out early last year, and I became super enamored with the school, the culture and the brand,” said Kraft. “There is such a benefit to being around kids from different countries. Our world needs nation building, and what better ways to forge these relationships than in high school with young people representing different countries. Our student body is made up heavily of kids from Brazil, China and Spain, but we also have students from Italy, Canada, Slovakia, South Korea, Japan, Guyana, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Russia, so basically from all over the place. These kids are very sophisticated and cultured. They are independent and motivated, being so far from your home and family, it’s quite incredible.”
Under Kraft’s tutelage, the boys’ team captured the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) title last spring, the first time the program has accomplished that feat. Now Kraft is a full-time faculty member at the school, where he not only is the Director of Racquet Sports but also a substitute teacher. Additionally, he has ushered in a Racquet Sports Program which includes students who don’t compete on the junior varsity and varsity teams, and helps teach them the basics of not only tennis, but other racquet sports such as badminton, pickleball and beach tennis.
“All of the students here have to choose a physical fitness activity or sport team to be a part of, so if you are not on one of the junior varsity or varsity teams, you can join our Racquet Sports Program,” explained Kraft. “Our courts are dual-lined with four world-class pickleball courts within our hard-court tennis courts, and we have a large grass area next to the courts where badminton and beach tennis are played. We’re able to utilize the gymnasium on bad weather days. Being able to teach pickleball has been great because its an easier entry point to learning racquet or paddle skills, as opposed to tennis which can be frustrating and take years to develop. We develop the basic skills for these players, and the goal is to next year start up a club team that can compete with other local area schools, which would be a cool thing for these students to experience.”
Kraft has brought his wealth of tennis knowledge and teaching experience to Hoosac and is having a great time in doing so. The school rests in an idyllic location and features top-level academics, while also placing an emphasis on its athletic programs, bringing in international players from all across the globe. Kraft has embraced working with this international roster, and is excited for a chance to defend its NEPSAC championship later this spring.
“We hope to defend our title with honor and dignity,” said Kraft. “We have shown we can compete with some of the top teams in our area, including schools from New York City and Long Island. Our doubles play has improved significantly from last year which gives us a lot of confidence as we begin the playoffs. We are a team that trains year-round, and we supplement our dual matches with UTR tournaments, so they get the experience of competing as a team but also playing in high-level tournaments as individuals. Between myself and Virginia, we have a strong tennis background and a lot of experience coaching tennis, so we have high expectations for both programs.”
Kraft has worn a number of different hats in his decades-long time working in the tennis industry, and the players and students at The Hoosac School are reaping the benefits of that. The place he finds himself at now seems right and fits him perfectly, and he’s excited for what lies ahead in the future.
“I want to give a shout out to Headmaster Dean Foster, Athletic Director Mike Ryan and head coach Virginia Gilroy, who all gave me the opportunity to join this amazing institution,” said Kraft.
