A car accident when he was a freshman in college left Paul Valkingburg living with discomfort for almost 20 years.

It didn’t keep him from becoming Westview High’s tennis coach, but completing daily routines such as eating, sleeping and even sitting were at times painful. Relief finally came from a rheumatologist, Dr. John Tesser, who discovered the nerve damage Valkinsburg was suffering from.

The injury was also keeping Westview’s coach from playing the game he loved, tennis. But physical therapy and medication allowed Valkingsburg to finally rally with his players pain-free on or about 2006.

It’s taken a while, but his boy’s tennis program is also making a comeback of sorts. Westview’s boys are 9-0 this season with five regular season opponents left on their schedule.

The last time Westview’s tennis team was making noise was more than a decade ago. The very resilient Valkingsburg, who’s in his 26th year coaching tennis at Westview, is directing a cohesive, multi-sport bunch that’s meshed well on and off the court this season.

About five of the players on the team also play soccer.

“There’s a connection between us,” said Westview captain and all-around soccer threat Daniel Osorio about his tennis team. “That’s because it started on the soccer field. The spark is there. When we are at school we always make sure to say what’s up to each other and sit together during assemblies.”

What Osorio lacks in tennis experience, he makes up for in endurance and strength.

Westview’s tennis players regularly pick up the game when they arrive at the high school, like Osorio did when he was sophomore.

So it takes them a couple of seasons to gain their tennis wings. But helping them through the ground strokes is Valkingsburg and assistants Brian Kirby and Stephen Bower.

Valkingsburg jokingly said that Bower, Westview’s boy’s soccer coach, is his on-campus tennis recruiter. Bower and Kirby played for Valkingsburg when Westview reached the state quarterfinals in 2008.

Kirby went on to play tennis at Grand Canyon University and decided to come back and help Valkingsburg, a Tolleson High grad. His team’s top singles players this year are brothers, Josh and Tanner McMurdie.

Josh is just 5 feet, 3 inches tall and a freshman but doesn’t lack confidence, athleticism and quickness. He was recently down 4-1 in a tiebreaker that would determine which team won the match.

“Josh was asking me between points, ‘Wait. This match comes down to me?’” Valkingsburg said. “He was so excited and wasn’t going to lose. You don’t get a lot of kids who handle pressure and want it. He may be short, but he will run down everything.”

Josh eventually won the tiebreaker 10-6 to help his team remain undefeated.

That hunger to succeed must continue Tuesday when Westview confronts Millennium, who along with Wesview and two other teams are undefeated in the Division I Southwest Region. Speaking of hunger, expect Tanner McMurdie to show up to Tuesday’s match with bags filled with food.

The No. 1 singles player for Westview is also known for his strong appetite.

So far, his team has followed his lead by taking a bite out of the competition.