Dan Borgman looked back over the past 39 years and came to the conclusion that the 2010 edition of the New Canaan boys tennis team may have been his best ever. The team won the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference and the Class L state championship. In addition, New Canaan players battled each other in both the Class L singles and doubles finals.
"In 1985, we had a similar situation,'' said Dan, a resident of Rowayton who has directed the New Canaan team since 1972. "I would have to say that neither the state nor the county was as talented as they are now. We had stronger players more consistently in the '70s and '80s, but that ended with the rise of Staples and Greenwich in the '90s."
The title that satisfied Borgman the most was the FCIAC victory. The Rams hadn't won the league since 1995, and he didn't know if he would get the chance again. He thought this year's team might be his best chance to win on the strength of those returning from the previous year. "By far, the FCIAC championship is the most significant because you're playing against the best in the state,'' Dan said.
The wins continue to pile up for Borgman. He now has 26 state titles and 11 FCIAC titles, along with 530 wins and 122 losses. He was recognized in 2006 as the national coach of the year. He has also earned coach of the year honors from the state (1981) and the league (2009). He retired in 2004 after 39 years as a history and psychology teacher, mostly at New Canaan. He plays tennis with friends at Mead Park and Bailey Beach, and golf at Oak Hills. Mostly, however, he waits for spring to get back on the courts with his team.
"You'd think after 40 years it'd be old stuff,'' Dan said. "But you get to see players follow their dream. I saw Ben Lee [this year's captain] when he was 9 years old. He said he was going to be my No. 1 player some day. To watch him achieve that goal and have the team emerge with him is special."
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