Artists’ Victory Is a Study in Black

CERRITOS — The Laguna Beach boys’ tennis team lost its coach and friend, John Anawalt, who died of an apparent heart attack Wednesday night. Then the players went out Thursday afternoon and did what Anawalt would have wanted them to do--they played tennis.

The players learned of Anawalt’s death late Wednesday, but decided to play their second-round Southern Section playoff match with Cerritos Whitney. They paid tribute to their coach by wearing the initials “JA” on their hats. No. 1 singles player Aaron Talarico and the No. 1 doubles team of Tyler Stratemann and Andy Purcell mourned their coach by wearing black socks. Stratemann’s mother, Toni, wore an all-black outfit.

“I’m roasting out here, but John knows I care,” Toni Stratemann said.

Anawalt, 48, collapsed while playing mixed doubles Wednesday night at Rancho San Clemente Tennis and Fitness Club. He was given CPR by club members but never regained consciousness.

Laguna Beach junior varsity coach Bob Hooper, a close friend of Anawalt’s, coached the Artists to a 12-6 victory Thursday, but he had a hard time keeping his mind on the match.

“This is harder on me than it is on them,” Hooper said. “I saw the whole thing. The visual makes it even tougher for me.”

Anawalt joined Rancho San Clemente a few months ago and had been playing about 45 minutes Wednesday when he collapsed.

He began playing tennis 10 years ago when he took an adult tennis class taught by former Laguna Beach coach Bob Walton. Anawalt immediately caught the bug and was picked by Walton to be his assistant coach for the boys’ and girls’ teams in 1992. In his first three years as a girls’ assistant coach, the Artists won section titles.

Anawalt took over both programs last summer when Walton left Laguna Beach for Brea Olinda.

“He was in my office the next day after Bob resigned,” Laguna Beach Principal Barbara Callard said. “He was so excited about becoming the head coach.”

Bob Gustafson, a close friend of Anawalt’s and the boys’ coach at San Clemente, said Anawalt was always excited when it came to tennis.

“Bob loved being a tennis coach,” said Gustafson, who came to Cerritos to show his support for Anawalt. “Everything else was secondary to tennis. He made a lot of money being a stock broker, but his love was tennis.”

Walton said Anawalt didn’t fit the profile of someone who would have a heart attack.

“He used to run marathons,” Walton said. “We’d play every day after practice for two hours. John was one of the last people you’d think something like this would happen to.

“Everything was going so well for him. He finally found something he loved. I’ve never seem him happier.”

Another reason for Anawalt’s happiness was his recent engagement to Kathy Hoffman.

Toni Stratemann said Anawalt was already planning the postseason banquet.

“It’s neat to have a coach that gets involved in the other side of sports,” she said. “The fun part of tennis is what John will always be known for.”

Stratemann said Anawalt’s death hit her son hard. “Tyler’s usually tough as nails, but he just fell apart,” she said.

Stratemann and Purcell won their three sets, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.

“I didn’t think about it that much until the end,” Tyler Stratemann said. “After the last set went to 4-4, I knew we wanted to pull it out for John.”

Said Purcell: “It hasn’t really hit me yet.”

The Artists host Palos Verdes Chadwick in the Division IV quarterfinals Tuesday.

The girls’ team was told of Anawalt’s death Thursday morning at school when the players were called into Callard’s office. School counselors and county mental health workers were available for students during the day.

“It was real important for the kids to be able to talk about their sadness with their peers,” Callard said. “I think it’s great the kids decided to play. They showed a lot of courage.”

Callard said Anawalt’s death affected the entire student body.

“A student who was running for ASB office mentioned John’s death in his campaign speech, and there was total silence,” she said.

A larger than usual crowd of parents, friends and administrators turned out for the playoff match at Cerritos Regional Park.

“I’m sure the kids are drained,” Callard said. “It’s been real hard.”

A memorial service for Anawalt will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday at Ocean Hills Church in San Juan Capistrano. Anawalt is survived by his daughter, Jenny, who is a junior at Ventura Buena High.