Andy Zappia has always felt his mission as a tennis coach was to make his kids love the game as much as a he did and use the the sport as a way to shape lives.

For the last 20 years, his love for tennis and his passion for coaching at Cary High never wavered.

So it was with a heavy heart last week that he decided it was time to step away. Beset with health problems since last fall, Zappia needs to focus on his health and his family, so he will no longer roam the courts at Godbold Park.

“I was getting home from practices and matches, I would take medicine for whichever ailment it was and fall asleep,” said Zappia, who coached the Cary girls for 15 years and the boys for 20. “That’s not fair to my family. And that deserves attention. I’ve got to take care of myself.”

Last October, Zappia returned to coach the girls’ team through the end of its season after Noelle Simmons went on maternity leave. Toward the end of the year, Zappia suffered a mild stroke. Ever since, he’s had some level of migraine headaches almost daily, and he’s lost 35 pounds.

Shortly after checking out of the hospital in March after a weeklong stay to get the migraines under control, he was involved in a car accident. He was sitting idle on the I-440 waiting for another accident to be cleared when a truck traveling close to 65 mph rearended him.

Giving up coaching had been in the back of his mind since last fall, but he convinced himself he could still do it despite the health problems. He missed only two matches this spring. But by the end of the season, he was simply exhausted. He knew something had to give.

“That’s a lot of sleepless nights going into the decision,” he said. “Sheer exhaustion is really all it is. I got to the point where I just couldn’t pick my head up.”

Zappia arrived at Cary High 20 years ago. He was transferred to the southwest side of Wake County after Zebulon High, where he had taught and coached for two years, merged with East Wake.

Zappia grew up playing tennis in the parks of Erie, Pa. He was robbed of his playing days when he developed arthritis late in high school. Though he couldn’t play, he wanted to be around the game. So he got into coaching for the same reason he got into teaching. After he was recruited to teach at Zebulon, he also became the school’s tennis coach. He wasn’t paid for the coaching position and he didn’t care.

“Starting in Zebulon, when we had to form teams, my job was to run around and look for people,” Zappia said. “And you make people love the game as much as you do. And you make it contagious and you develop ability and a love for what you’re doing. That’s what I wanted to do. And teach kids to set goals that are realistic.”

His approach and his passion have led to admiration from his players, peers and coaching adversaries.

Zappia always knew how to alleviate the pressure in a tense match, said Justin Radloff, who played for Zappia the last four years.

“He always tells you to go out and have fun, and that’s really helped me,” Radloff said. “He’ll always have a joke. … He’s a really good mental person. He can take your mind of the pressure and the stress.”

With several coaches on staff for more than 10 years, Cary Athletic Director Kurt Glendenning knows at some point, the time will come for all of them to step away. Though Glendenning knew Zappia wouldn’t be around forever, that didn’t make accepting his resignation any easier.

“It’ll be almost impossible to find someone to take his place,” said Glendenning, who joined the Cary staff 20 years ago along with Zappia. “I can hire a tennis coach. But I cannot rehire Andy Zappia unless he decides he wants to come back. … I can’t replace him.”

When Ryan Phelps took over at Apex High 11 years ago, Zappia was there to offer him any help he needed, something he’s always done when a new coach comes into the conference. After coaching against him for more than a decade, Phelps has seen the impact Zappia has had.

“He’s affected a lot of students and they have a lot of respect for him,” Phelps said. “It’s great as a teacher and coach to see that and how much they appreciate him. I’ve enjoyed coaching against him. I’ve made lot of friends while coaching, and Andy’s at the top of that list.”

Fortunately for the school, student body and community, Zappia isn’t leaving Cary altogether. He will remain as a math teacher. With 20 years worth of memories, Zappia didn’t want to even try to list any for fear of leaving some out. He preferred to brush the last two decades with a broad stroke.

“I have seen great tennis and some not so great tennis, but always great kids and a lot of fun,” Zappia said. “I have watched them graduate. I have been thrilled when they came back to visit. I have laughed at their weddings and unfortunately cried at some of their funerals.

“It has been a whole life experience for me and I would not have traded any of it, for I have encountered some truly amazing young people. It’s about shaping lives and character and hopefully I have done a decent job of it.”