Why Quan Huynh resigned as state and Section 1 tennis coordinator
To the surprise of many in the local athletic community, state and Section 1 tennis coordinator Quan Huynh announced last week his decision to resign from both roles following a dispute with the New York State Public High School Athletic Association.
Huynh, who helmed the positions for a decade, said he was “forced to step down” by NYSPHSAA leadership in response to complaints about his speech following the boys tennis southeast regional championship in June. The state and section are now searching for his replacement.
“It hurts because I really enjoyed doing this,” said Huynh, who is a longtime coach at Harrison High School and was the section coordinator for boys and girls tennis. “I’ll miss the kids, and the relationships I’ve built over the years with coaches and players across the state. Whenever someone said to me after a tournament, ‘This was a great experience,’ it was such a rewarding feeling.”
This decision came about a month after Section 1 tennis celebrated a high point, winning the singles and doubles titles in the state tournament.
But days before that, during what was an intense regional matchup between Horace Greeley and Section 8’s Syosset on June 5, tempers flared and the audience became unruly. At one point, Huynh said, a Long Island parent directed an expletive at a player. That conduct, he said, prompted his admonishment of the attendees later.
“We had a parent taunting the kids, someone cursed at the players, and I even stopped play and told everyone we can’t have this,” Huynh said. Syosset won, 4-3, with a clinching doubles victory and eventually went on to win the state team championship.
“In my wrap-up speech at the end of the tournament, I brought it up,” he continued. “I kind of scolded them about their behavior.”
Huynh insisted he didn’t use foul language in the address but assumed his brusque tone, and his chiding of the Long Islanders, rankled some listeners. Someone recorded the speech and submitted it to NYSPHSAA, which is the governing body of public high school sports in the state.
“There were some comments made in the speech that were concerning, and I addressed that with him,” NYSPHSAA executive director Robert Zayas told lohud. “He did a good job in the role, and we appreciated his work, but this was an unfortunate situation.”
Zayas wouldn’t divulge what, specifically, was problematic within the speech, but said that each coordinator “is a representative of our entire staff” and, thus, must be mindful of what they say and how it might impact others.
Huynh said the Section 8 coordinator ― representing Nassau County ― criticized his handling of the situation at regionals in a letter to NYSPHSAA, and he believes that some other administrators with Long Island ties pushed for his ouster. Huynh pleaded his case but said Zayas presented him with an ultimatum: resign or be fired.
“I had what I felt was a professional conversation with him, and that led to his decision to step down,” Zayas said of their talk earlier this month.
Huynh later resigned from the Section 1 role as well, explaining that because section coordinators work closely with NYPHSAA throughout the year, it would’ve felt awkward interacting with some of the people who wanted him out.
Being section coordinator paid about $ 2,000 per year and the NYPHSAA position carried a $ 750 stipend, Huynh said. “It obviously wasn’t about the money,” he said. “I did it for the kids.”
Zayas said NYSPHSAA wants to hire someone by early August to avoid a disruption of their yearly planning. The girls tennis season begins in September. Huynh said he will be “only a text away,” promising to support whomever replaces him.
The 49-year-old intends to continue teaching math at Rye Middle School and coaching the junior varsity team at Harrison. The former Brewster High School tennis standout played the sport at Hobart College before coaching at the club level, then scholastically.
Huynh was effusive in thanking Harrison athletic director Chris Galano, who served alongside him as Section 1 boys tennis co-chair and “showed me unwavering support.”
He also sent a mass email to coaches and parents of local tennis players informing them of the decision, to which he received a torrent of supportive responses. Some called it “sad news,” others thanked him for the “amazing work you did for Section 1 tennis” and noted how “deeply rooted you were in the tennis community that you helped build.”
“My love for tennis and our athletes in the area hasn’t changed, and I love that I’ve been able to help promote it,” Huynh said. “I will forever cherish the conversations, memories, smiles and even the tears shed. I can’t thank you all enough for allowing me to be part of what we have created here in Section 1.”
Stephen Haynes covers sports for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Tennis: Huynh resigns as NYSPHSAA and Section 1 tennis coordinator
