Agape Freedom Sports LLC

By Jeric Yurkanin | Staff Writer | Agape Freedom Sports

🎾 For 40 Years, It Was Always About the Kids

For four decades, Jerry Pickard stood at the helm of the Valley View girls tennis program, quietly building something special since 1986. He took over the boys team in 1995 and spent nearly 40 years shaping young athletes into competitors and—more importantly—good people.

His name is etched into the Valley View community. Coaches across the region either played for him, coached alongside him, or faced off against his teams. You don’t forget a Jerry Pickard team.

When I had the chance to interview him recently, I realized right away—Coach Pickard is a gentle giant. He’s soft-spoken. Reserved. A man of few words. But one thing he made crystal clear:

“It was always about the kids.”

It was about teaching the game the right way.

About having fun.

About competing with class.

About winning the right way.

Ask any of his players and they’ll tell you: he’s more than a coach. He’s a teacher, a role model, and someone they respect deeply.

You’d often see him walking calmly up and down the Valley View courts, reminding players to stretch, drink water, and most importantly—have fun. One match, he made sure every single player on the team got into the lineup. Why?

Because it wasn’t about records or rankings.

It was about the kids.

“I coach for the kids,” said Pickard, now 78. “Tennis is fun. I enjoy teaching kids how to be competitive, how to be good people, and how to represent themselves in the community.”

“I want them to learn the fundamentals, to practice hard, and to enjoy playing.”

For new players just joining a team, his advice is simple and timeless:

“Don’t quit. Come to practice. Participate. Enjoy what you’re doing.”

Before a recent match, I watched him tell his team to clap louder as lineups were announced. Then, right before the first serve, he gathered them together and led them in a chant:

“Play to the best of our abilities.”

That’s what he demands—not perfection, but effort.

When you play for Jerry Pickard, you give 100% of the talent God gave you. Nothing less.

Very few coaches can say they spent 40 years at one school. He bled blue, yellow, and white. Cougar colors. But even more than that—he is part of this community’s foundation. He was made for this place. He was born for it.

I’d know—Jerry Pickard is actually my third cousin once removed. I learned that back in 2022 while building my family tree through Ancestry and talking to relatives. He was born in 1947, and both our third great-grandparents migrated from Ireland to Archbald generations ago.

The Beginning: From 0-13 to a Legacy:

Jerry’s coaching journey started in 1986 when his daughter Shannon joined the team as a freshman. At the time, the program was on the verge of folding. He submitted an application to coach, asking only to be considered if no one else wanted the job.

No one did. So he stepped up.

He didn’t know much about tennis that first year. His team went 0–13. But instead of quitting, he studied. He learned. And then he built one of the most consistent programs in NEPA history. The rest? That’s history.

“I think he knows so much about tennis,” said senior Ella Swingle. “When I started as a freshman, he literally taught me everything I needed to know. He puts everything into this team.”

Sophomore Lucy Ritzco added,

“He doesn’t get mad if you mess up—he trusts you’ll fix it and play better.”

Emily Messett, head coach of Mid Valley Girls Tennis and a Scranton Prep graduate, put it perfectly:

“I’ve known Coach Pickard since I was 15. I always joke that he probably forgets what he ate for breakfast, but he remembers the score from when I played his team in districts as a junior. He’s the grandfather of tennis in this area. I tell my players—if he’s coaching you during a match, listen to what he’s saying. He knows what he’s talking about.”

Messett added,

“He always said he’d retire if Mid Valley ever beat him. Last year, our boys team finally did—and he was so kind, congratulating every one of our players. He’s not just for Valley View. He’s for the sport. He’s for keeping tennis strong in this area. I didn’t really want to beat him… because I didn’t want him to retire.”

And when asked about his influence?

“I try to model my coaching after Coach Pickard. He’s had so much success working with kids who often never played tennis before—and still competing against experienced programs. Even my all-stars have gotten tips from him during matches.

A Recovery Story That Inspires:

Off the court, Jerry Pickard’s story is one of redemption, faith, and second chances.

Before the tennis, before the winning seasons, before the legacy—he fought a darker battle: alcoholism.

He drank until he blacked out. It had taken over his life. In 1983, he checked into The Salvation Army with his friend Victor to begin the long road to recovery. He stayed for nearly a year. That place—and that choice—saved his life.

He found a new purpose. A spiritual awakening. He leaned on faith.

“I always believed in God,” he shared on a moving episode of the AllBetter podcast. “I had aunts who were nuns. A cousin who was a priest. But it took hitting rock bottom to understand what real surrender and peace looked like.”

Before 1984, he was a bartender. After that, he was reborn—not just as a man of faith, but as a mentor, teacher, and builder of one of NEPA’s most respected high school sports programs.

From 1986 until now, Valley View tennis has been blessed to call Jerry Pickard their coach.

🐾 Coach. Mentor. Survivor. Cougar for Life.

He’s not just a man with wins.

He’s a man with wisdom.

He’s not just a coach with stats.

He’s a coach with heart.

And for 40 years, through every match, every stretch of courtside encouragement, every player who picked up a racket for the first time—Coach Pickard made sure it was never about him.

Always about the kids. Forever part of Valley View. One of the best to ever do it, he’s my cousin and family—and the humblest of giants. His name is Jerry Pickard.