WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Heidi Tate, a two-time Northwest Conference Coach of the Year in women’s tennis, is resigning her coaching position at Whitman College to pursue a career in the medical field.
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Tate, who has compiled a 67-32 NWC win-loss record at Whitman over the past seven seasons, will enroll this summer in the physician assistant’s program at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif.
Hannah Swee, a 2005 Whitman graduate and Tate’s assistant coach the past two seasons, will coach the Missionary women next year on an interim basis. Whitman will conduct a national search before filling the coaching position on a more permanent basis, and Swee plans to be one of the candidates during that process.
"Heidi has provided outstanding leadership for our tennis program and we are very sad to see her go," Whitman director of athletics Dean Snider said. "She is an excellent coach and a wonderful colleague. Although we will miss her greatly, Heidi is making an exciting professional move, and I am certain success will follow her wherever she goes."
Tate played NCAA Div. I tennis and majored in health education at Montana State Univesity, graduating in 1996. Putting an interest in medical school on hold, she coached the women’s team at her alma mater for three seasons. She also coached the men’s team for one season, leading the Bobcats to their first-ever conference title.
Tate, a graduate of Bainbridge Island (Wash.) High School, came to Whitman in the fall of 2000, replacing long-time coach Jayne McCarthy. Tate won her first NWC Coach of the Year honor in her second year, after leading the Missionaries to an undefeated conference season.
While coaching at Whitman, Tate completed a master’s degree in clinical social work at nearby Walla Walla College. She worked last fall for the state Department of Human Services in its Children’s Mental Health Unit, providing mental health therapy and case management for children with acute mental health issues.
Western University’s physician assistant (PA) program is based on a two-year master’s degree curriculum. Physician assistants, or PAs, are health professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. Within the physician/PA relationship, PAs exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic, therapeutic, preventive, and health maintenance services.
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"I am very dedicated to working with underserved people, and this is one of the main goals of the physician assistant program," Tate said. "I was surprised to get into this program on my first try. I guess it was meant for me to start now."
The second year of Western University’s PA program is focused on clinical rotations and residencies. Tate hopes to serve her rotations and residencies in the Seattle area. Her mother, Susan Valentine, earned her PA degree at the University of Washington in 2002, leaving behind a 15-year career as a nephrology nurse. She now works in the Virginia Mason Urgent Care Clinic on Bainbridge Island, Wash.
"My mom is one of my best friends, so it is an honor to follow in her footsteps," Tate said.
While working in the medical field represents a dream come true for Tate, she laments the thought of leaving the coaching profession. "I have put every ounce of my being into coaching collegiate tennis for the last 10 years," she said. "This is like saying good-bye to a very good friend. It’s very emotional and sad for me, no matter how enlightening my new path might be."
Leaving the Whitman community will be just as difficult, Tate adds. "I want to thank Jayne McCarthy and (Whitman men’s coach) Jeff Northam for bringing me into the program and then supporting me along the way," she said. "My experiences with faculty and staff have also been so positive. I will greatly miss all of the wonderful people I have come to love in this community."
More than anything else, Tate says, she will miss the daily interactions with her players. "I can honestly say this year’s team is the best group I’ve ever coached," she said. "Each of our players understands the commitment of being on a team. They work hard, love each other and seek to find and maintain a balance between academics and their tennis. They are dedicated student athletes who inspire me every day. I will miss them more than they will ever know."
Tate coaches her final regular season match this Saturday when Whitman travels to Spokane to play Whitworth. The Missionaries are 15-6 on the season and 11-4 in conference play. Whitman will take either the No. 2 or No. 3 seed into the NWC Championships, set for April 20-21 in Yakima, Wash.
Dave Holden, Whitman Sports Information,
(509) 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu