Rockdale Class of 2016 graduate Dustin Strelsky is taking over as head tennis coach this fall. Many of you will recogni ze his name, as you know his story. His story is one of tragedy, heartache, hard work and triumph.
In 2010 Coach Strelsky, his mother and his sister were in a violent head-on motor vehicle accident with an intoxicated driver near Hearne. Miraculously, only the driver of the other car lost his life, though Dustin suffered extensive injuries to his spinal cord, as well as a broken back, broken neck and a traumatic brain injury. Doctors did not expect him to survive the first night. The then 12-year-old was hospitalized for six months and had outpatient rehabilitation for years after.
The accident left the first time coach a paraplegic but has not slowed him down. He began playing tennis in junior high and continued into high school and beyond. Playing with and against “able bodied” athletes along the way, he earned a No. 1 national ranking in the co-ed B division of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). Coach Strelsky credits long-time tennis coach and mentor, Fernando Velasco, with much of his success.
In 2014 he was approached about participating in wheelchair track and field, which he eagerly jumped into.
Under the tutelage of current RHS Athletic Director, head football coach and Strelsky’s new boss, Hunter Hamrick, Strelsky had a very successful track career. He qualified for the University Interscholastic League State Championship in Austin, winning gold in the 100-meter and 400-meter races, as well as a silver medal for shotput.
“Coach Hamrick has been a big part of my journey. I’m grateful for him and to have had him as a coach,” he said.
After high school, Strelsky attended Texas A&M University, graduating with a degree in political science. After a couple of bumps along the way, Coach Velasco reached out to Strelsky and convinced him to get back on the tennis courts. He has spent the last two years traveling the country, playing tennis and earning that No. 1 ranking.
As he looks forward to his first year as a coach, he is most excited about working with the kids, using his life lessons to “just show them that anything is possible.”
Coach Strelsky is thrilled to be back in Rockdale, stating about the incredible support he received from the community after the accident, “I want to give back to Rockdale and make an impact. I owe Rockdale a lot.”
In addition to running the Tiger tennis program, Coach Strelsky will teach graphic design at RHS.
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