Volleyball Players Say Goodbye to Coach Gemignani

Kevin Gemignani has touched a lot of young people's lives during his 17 years as the boys volleyball coach at Shorewood High School. 

Gemignani led the SHS Greyhounds to multiple Woodland Conference Championships and three WIAA state tournament berths in 2000, 2001, and 2005. He also helped establish a competitive local club program through North Shore Milwaukee Volleyball Club.

Gemignani recalls he was hired to coach volleyball 17 years ago, with his only prior coaching experience coming from a seventh grade church volleyball team. After one year coaching junior varsity, he was called up to coach Shorewood's varsity team.

Five years into his coaching career, he took a job teaching social studies at Shorewood Intermediate School. Gemignani will continue to teach social studies at Shorewood Intermediate School and coach the seventh grade boys volleyball team.

"The best part about this has been watching the boys go from middle school and into high school, and getting the opportunity to coach them for six years," he said.

At the end of last school year, Gemignani notified the school that he would be stepping down from the coach position to spend more time with his wife, his 3 1/2 year old son and his 8-month-old daughter. 

As a way of saying thank you and goodbye, a group of his players decided to honor him through a volleyball competition – giving the boys one last chance to bond with their coach through the game they love.