CUC Names Valerie Medina Women's Tennis Coach

Courtesy of Concordia University Chicago

RIVER FOREST, Ill. -- Concordia University Chicago announces the appointment of Valerie Medina as the head coach for its women's tennis team. Medina succeeds Vern Klotz who coached the Cougar women for the previous eight seasons.

"I am thankful to Concordia's administration for this opportunity to work with the women's tennis program," said Medina. "I am very excited and cannot wait to get started."

A native of Belleville, Illinois, Medina took up the sport at the age of nine. She attended Belleville West High School where she and her doubles partner competed at the IHSA State Tournament during her junior and senior years. Medina did not play tennis in college but got back into the game soon after graduation and has since been an avid student of the game. She has played in and helped organize summer leagues through the United States Tennis Association and is currently active with the Northern Illinois Traveling Tennis League.

Medina took interest in teaching the game as a "second career" and soon received her teaching certification from the Professional Tennis Registry. Her teaching career has included private instruction primarily with children 15 and under at local camps, YMCAs, the Oak Park Country Club and the Oak Park Tennis and Fitness Center. In addition, Medina has worked with the West Suburban Tennis Patrons, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged area youth.    

The Concordia position will be Medina's first with a team, a challenge she is eager to accept. "I love working one-on-one with people, but I've had the desire to work with a competitive group for an extended time. I believe that the Cougar program has a good foundation in place, and I look forward to working with these players and building a cohesive unit." Medina also cites the addition of a children's tennis camp to Concordia's roster of Cougar Kids' Camps as a future goal.

Medina earned her bachelor of arts in communications from the University of Illinois and her master of arts in organizational development from Loyola University.