40 | NOVEMBER 3 • 2022

These Boys Love Tennis

SPORTS

T

he Frankel Jewish
Academy boys tennis
team’s remarkable record
of success became even more
remarkable this season.
The Jaguars went to the
Division 4 state tournament for
the seventh time in nine seasons.
For the first time in team
history, which dates to the
school’s 2000 opening, the Jag-
uars went to state as a regional
champion after winning the
regional at Grosse Ile on Oct. 6.
Frankel coach Larry Stark was
selected the Regional Coach of
the Year by his fellow coaches.
Unlike all their opponents, the
Jaguars don’t play on Shabbat
and Jewish holidays. That
drastically reduces their number
of practices and matches.
That doesn’t stop them.
“The kids make up for it with
hard work. They know time
is precious,
” said Stark, whose
hiring as Frankel coach nine
years ago after a successful eight

years as the boys tennis coach
at West Bloomfield High School
coincided with the Jaguars’
emergence as a boys tennis
power in Division 4.
Frankel had never made it to
state in boys tennis before Stark
arrived on the scene.
Stark pointed to some
concrete reasons for his team’s
accomplishments through the
years. Among the reasons are
players who are multi-sport
athletes and not cutting anyone
from the team.
“Tennis can be a sport for
life,
” Stark said about his no-cut
policy.
Another reason Stark put
forward is difficult to quantify,
but certainly prevalent.
“Monica and I take pride in
creating a welcoming, relaxed
family atmosphere on the team
and teaching life lessons in
addition to tennis,
” he said.
Monica is Monica Stark,
Larry’s wife, who works with

him as a coach. Each is certified
by the United States Professional
Tennis Association. They’ve
been married for 28 years.
Ethan Grey, one of seven
seniors on this year’s Frankel
boys tennis team and a
co-captain for three years, has
been a member of the Frankel
boys tennis family for four years.
He went to the state tournament
three times.
Reflecting back on his Frankel
tennis career, his coaches
immediately came to mind.
“I can’t thank our coaches
enough,
” he said. “They’re
amazing. I can’t imagine my life
without them.
”
Having a small school (about
120 students this school year)
also helps the boys tennis team,
Grey said.
“One of the beautiful things
about Frankel is everyone knows
each other and everyone is
close,
” he said. “My first Frankel
experience was tennis practices

before my freshman year. I
was nervous, but everyone
on the team was so nice and
so welcoming, especially the
seniors.
”
Grey, 17, is the third and last
of the Grey brothers to play for
the Frankel boys tennis team.
Jonathan, 24, a University of
Michigan graduate and medical
student at Oakland University,
and Eli, 21, who is studying
neuroscience at Michigan State
University, preceded Ethan, who
is planning to go into a medical
field. He hasn’t decided where he
will go to college.
Frankel boys tennis players
went 5-2 with one bye in the
eight flights in the first round of
this year’s state tournament, held
in Kalamazoo.
Each Frankel player lost in the
second round, but the Jaguars
didn’t exactly get great seeds in
the brackets.
Of the opponents who
defeated Frankel players,

Frankel Jewish Academy boys tennis team wins its first regional
championship, plays in the state tournament for the 7th time in 9 years.

continued on page 42

STEVE STEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Frankel
Jewish Academy
boys tennis team
celebrates its
Division 4 regional
championship.

MARLO SHAEVSKY