Coach Corky's Tennis Journey – The Forest Explorer

A former Division 1 tennis player, an Air Force veteran and a contestant on the show Family feud. A man who can literally do anything, Assistant Coach Corky Leighton is the Girls Varsity Tennis team's secret weapon.

The 2024 girls tennis season ended with the team making their way through both the Conference and Sectionals, finishing in the top 16 in the state, a major achievement.

The team has a long history of success; over the past fifteen years, the team has captured four state championships and finished as runners-up twice. This successful repertoire is partly due to the major role Corky played.

Corky has been coaching tennis at LFHS for over 23 years. He coaches both the Boys and Girls Varsity Tennis teams and has led multiple players and teams to state championship victories.

Senior Nastia Belova, a four-year varsity team member, competed at State for the second time this year.

Being coached by [Corky] During training or matches, I can always focus on what exactly I need to do to play better, Belova said. He has a way of making the hard sport more manageable and easier.

Whether it's during game point of an important match or just while serving in practice, Corky has a way of breaking things down that helps each player really understand what they're doing right and wrong. He knows what works and what doesn't, and his guidance is crucial to the development of the girls team.

Having been part of the tennis world all his life, Corky is not shy about sharing valuable tennis knowledge. As a child he was quickly introduced to the sport of tennis.

I grew up in a tennis family. My grandfather was a high school teacher and tennis coach, and for two years he was the U.S. Davis Cup coach, Corky said. My father became involved in tennis growing up and later started coaching. The fact that he was a tennis coach had a big influence on what we did as a family.

Despite growing up in a tennis-oriented family, Corky himself only later decided to make tennis his main focus.

When I was young I played all sports. Tennis wasn't even my favorite at first; I loved baseball. In high school, my doubles partner and I lost in the State finals. That loss really pushed me to stay in tennis, Corky said.

It may come as a surprise to those who know Corky well that tennis hasn't always been his favorite sport. What is certainly not surprising, however, is that he came back from a loss with an even stronger determination to win.

This is advice that is consistently repeated to the players he coaches. Drawing from his own experiences as a player to make his teams as strong as possible is exactly what makes Corky more than just a coach, he is a mentor.

For Corky, coaching is more than just a job; it is a commitment to continuous growth. His motivation comes from the belief that there is always room to help players refine their skills and achieve more.

I continue to coach because I can always find other things to help people improve, Corky said.

This dedication reflects his mindset for both coaching and life in general, continually improving the tennis team's skills and mindset. He is never willing to settle until he knows he has done everything he can to take a player to the top of his game.

Although his guidance is always top class, few get to know him outside the tennis team. Whether he's bringing out a new piece of equipment to help the team with their service or explaining why drinking salt water is the best remedy for a sore throat, Corky always has an insightful fact up his sleeve.

Corky's wisdom is shaped not only by his experience as a tennis player, but also by his time in the Air Force and his career in public health.

During his senior year of high school, Corky was offered a scholarship to Toledo University, a Division 1 school where his father used to coach. After playing there for three years, he transferred to the University of Illinois. Shortly after graduating, he joined the Air Force.

I was in Vietnam one year. I worked in air transportation and my job was to assign planes, figure out what to put on the planes and get them in and out of the base, Corky said. When you're in a war zone, you never know what to expect.

The unexpected nature of serving in the Air Force inspired Corky to never take a job that didn't make him happy. By switching from his job in the Air Force to working in public health and becoming a tennis coach at a country club, Corky was able to find exactly what he needed to understand his true passion in life.

I realized that you have to find something that you love to do and that you want to do for the rest of your life.

Although Corky was initially career-oriented when he entered the public health field, he trusted his gut and made changes to suit what he enjoyed most.

Now Corky has lived in Northbrook for 48 years, where he raises both of his children. One of them currently coaches tennis at Deerfield High School and is following in his father's footsteps.

Whether it's a win or a loss, you can trust that Corky will be on the sidelines, ready to explain exactly what worked and what didn't.

Over the years, he's learned a lot about what it takes to be a great tennis player, and now he can tie it all together into what he believes is the most fundamental advice he can give: you have to play within yourself. Be completely honest with yourself, you could be your own best friend or worst enemy and it's much better to be a friend.