Division: Lower School
Teaches: Physical Education, Head of the Varsity Tennis program
De-Sean Fennell started at GFS as a tennis coach in 2016 and moved through various roles as a lead Lower School classroom teacher and back into the Athletics and Physical Education Department. In 2025, De-Sean began his role as Head Coach of the Varsity Tennis program.
My own experiences as a student-athlete... I played varsity tennis at Roman Catholic High School. I was actually inducted into its Hall of Fame [Ed note: his record was 61-0!]. I went on to play tennis for LaSalle University, where I secured in the number one singles position during my first year, and played all four years!
One of my favorite parts of the dual role of teacher-coach... is that it allows me to apply the Quaker Spices to younger students in different contexts. Lately, I've been specifically upholding and encouraging Integrity among the students.
"Integrity" is a really big word in the Lower School because... it's just asking, "How can I compete honestly when things get heated in the moment? Can I be fair and non-judgmental to my opponent and can I respect their line calls? Can I respect them?"