Denny Cline may not carry the official title of Gremlins tennis head coach — even though he’s outlasted three of them during the program’s four-year existence — or be credited to bringing tennis to Sacred Heart. The final decision was OK’d by principal Mark Register, but don’t be mistaken about who the heartbeat of the young program is.
The 49-year-old Sedalia native, whose day job is warehouse receiving group leader at Gardner Denver, eats, drinks and lives tennis in the spring, serving as volunteer assistant coach for the Gremlins tennis team.
kAmqFE 367@C6 56=G:?8 :?E@ r=:?6’D :?7=F6?46 @? 2 AC@8C2> E92E 92D 7:?:D965 2 4@==64E:G6 `e\d E96 =2DE EH@ D62D@?D[ 25G2?465 E@ C68:@?2= A=2J :? a_`_ 2?5 925 2 DE2E6 BF2=:7:6C :? EH@ @7 :ED E9C66 42>A2:8?D[ 9:D 56G@E:@? E@ E96 DA@CE >FDE 7:CDE 36 F?56CDE@@5] p?5 7@C E92E 96 42? E92?< 9:D D@?[ 7@C>6C 2==\DE2E6 E6??:D DE2C p=6I]k^Am
kAmq67@C6 E96 3:CE9 @7 p=6I — 2 a_`_ 8C25F2E6 @7 $24C65 w62CE $49@@= 2?5 ?@H 2 4@==68:2E6 A=2J6C 2E E96 $E] {@F:D r@==686 @7 !92C>24J — r=:?6 <?6H =:EE=6 E@ ?@E9:?8 23@FE E96 82>6]k^Am
kAmr=:?6 ?6G6C E@F4965 2 E6??:D C24<6E 8C@H:?8 FA] x?DE625[ 9:D 2E9=6E:4 AC@H6DD H2D 4@?7:?65 E@ E96 92C5H@@5 2E $>:E9\r@EE@? w:89 $49@@=[ H96C6 96 DE2CE65 2D 8F2C5 F?56C (:==:6 y6?<:?D F?E:= 8C25F2E:?8 :? `hg_]k^Am
kAm“q2D<6E32== :D H92E x A=2J65 — =@G65 :E[” D2:5 r=:?6] “x ?6G6C 6G6? E9@F89E 23@FE E6??:D 8C@H:?8 FA]”k^Am
kAmpE =62DE F?E:= p=6I 3642>6 6?2>@C65 H:E9 E96 DA@CE :? E96 =2E6 `hh_D 2D 2 f\J62C\@=5 3F55:?8 E2=6?E]k^Am
kAm“|J 324<8C@F?5 :? E6??:Dn }@?6[” r=:?6 D2:5] “x C64@8?:K65 p=6I H2?E65 E@ A=2J E6??:D 2?5 A:4<65 FA E96 C24<6E H:E9 9:>] x =62C?65 H:E9 9:>]”k^Am
kAm“p=6I 3642>6 2 W&?:E65 $E2E6D %6??:D pDD@4:2E:@?X <:5[ DE2CE65 A=2J:?8 2C@F?5 f @C D@ H:E9 E96 W$652=:2X A2C<D 2?5 C64 2?5 4@249 W$E6G6X $49:=3 2?5 #@5 s2G:D 5FC:?8 E96 DF>>6CD] %96? %@> rF??:?892> 2?5 >6 DE2CE65 H@C<:?8 H:E9 9:>]”k^Am
kAm$@ H92E 82G6 r=:?6 E96 2FE9@C:EJ @C 6IA6C:6?46 E@ 96=A E6249 9:D D@? E6??:D[ 2 82>6 96 ?6H =:EE=6 23@FE 7@C E96 7:CDE 7@FC 564256D @7 9:D =:76nk^Am
kAm“(6 E@@< p=6I 7@C H92E x H2?E E@ D2J EH@ E@ E9C66 >@?E9D E@ (@@5D:56 p4256>J :? z2?D2D r:EJ 7@C AC@76DD:@?2= =6DD@?D[ 2?5 x ;FDE H2E4965 E92E 8FJ H9@ H2D E6249:?8 p=6I E96 AC@A6C H2J E@ D6CG6[ E96 :?D 2?5 @FED @7 E96 324<92?5 2?5 7@C692?5[ 2?5 x D2H 9@H 96 92?5=65 E96 <:5D 2?5 E2=<65 E@ E96>] x ;FDE <:?5 @7 3C@F89E E92E 324< E@ $652=:2]”k^Am
kAm(9:=6 p=6I 7=@FC:D965 @? E96 &$%p ;F?:@C 4:C4F:E[ 9:D 7FEFC6 :? E6??:D 9:E 2 D?28 2D 96 6?E6C65 $24C65 w62CE[ H9:49[ =:<6 6G6CJ @E96C D49@@= :? E96 z2JD:?86C r@?76C6?46[ 5:5?’E @776C E6??:D]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 4@?E6>A=2E65 2E @?6 E:>6 8@:?8 E@ $>:E9\r@EE@? 3642FD6 p=6I DH2> 7@C y@6 pC3:D: E9C@F89 E96 q2?5:ED[ 2?5 96 H2D 2 E@A\?@E49 DH:>>6C[ D@ 96 4@F=5 92G6 5@?6 3@E9 DH:>>:?8 2?5 E6??:D[” r=:?6 D2:5] “(6 49@D6 E@ DE2J[ 9@H6G6C[ 3642FD6 @7 E96 24256>:4D 2?5 >@C6 @7 2 @?6\@?\@?6 EJA6 562= 2E $24C65 w62CE[ H9:49 H6 76=E 925 36EE6C DEF5:6D]”k^Am
kAmqFE E92E 5@6D?’E >62? r=:?6 H2D C6D:8?65 E@ =6E 9:D D@?’D E2=6?ED @? E96 E6??:D 4@FCE 8@ E@ H2DE6 H:E9@FE 2 7:89E]k^Am
kAm“{6E’D 8@ 324< 2E =62DE 7:G6 2?5 2 92=7 J62CD[ 23@FE 2 J62C 2?5 2 92=7 367@C6 E96 E62> 42>6 23@FE[” r=:?6 D2:5] “x H2D @? E96 D49@@= 3@2C5 2?5 H6 H2?E65 E@ 3C:?8 D@>6 ?6H DA@CED 2E E96 E:>6] (6 3C@F89E FA DH:>>:?8 2?5 E6??:D[ 3FE H6 E2=<65 2?5 H6 E9@F89E E9:D :D?’E 8@:?8 E@ 92AA6?] qFE |2C< #68:DE6C 2AAC@24965 FD @?6 52J 2?5 D2:5[ ‘*@F <?@H H92E[ x E9:?< H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ 86E E9:D E6??:D E62> 8@:?8]’ %92E C62==J DFCAC:D65 FD]”k^Am
kAmx? E96:C 7:CDE J62C[ E96 vC6>=:?D A@DE65 2 H:??:?8 C64@C5[ 2?5 2 =@E @7 E92E DF446DD 42? 36 2EEC:3FE65 E@ r=:?6 H9@[ 3642FD6 @?=J 2 $24C65 w62CE E62496C 4@F=5 2DDF>6 E96 9625 4@249:?8 C@=6[ 925 E96 E2D< @7 H@C<:?8 H:E9 >F=E:A=6 A=2J6CD H9@ 925 ?6G6C 367@C6 96=5 2 C24<6E]k^Am
kAm“xE H2D ?2EFC2= E92E x DE6A :? E@ 96=A[” r=:?6 D2:5] “|J C@=6 7C@> 52J @?6 92D 366? E@ 32D:42==J E@ H@C< H:E9 E96 <:5D[ E6249 E96> E96 7F?52>6?E2=D 2?5 86E E96> AC6A2C65 7@C >2E49 A=2J H9:=6 E96 9625 4@249 :D E96C6 E@ CF? E96 :?D 2?5 @FED @7 H92E :E E2<6D H:E9 D4965F=:?8[ 4@>>F?:42E:?8 H:E9 @E96C 4@2496D 2?5 E96 369:?5\E96\D46?6D DEF77]”k^Am
kAmxE’D 366? 2? 6G6CJ52J 4@>>:E>6?E 7@C r=:?6[ H9@ 92D AC@G:565 DE23:=:EJ 7@C 2 AC@8C2> E92E’D 925 E9C66 4@2496D :? 7@FC J62CD] #68:DE6C F?56CDE2?5D E92E :E’D 3642FD6 @7 r=:?6’D 565:42E:@? E92E E96 AC@8C2> 92D 366? 23=6 E@ E9C:G6]k^Am
kAm“(6 C62==J 4@F=5?’E 92G6 5@?6 E9:D H:E9@FE s6??J[” 96 D2:5] “(9:=6 H6’G6 925 D@>6 8C62E 7@=<D 96=A E96 AC@8C2> 2?5 E2<6 @G6C 9625 4@249:?8 5FE:6D[ s6??J’D 366? 96C6 7C@> E96 368:??:?8 2?5 92D =6?E 2== E96 6IA6CE:D6 E@ :E] ]]] w6’D 366? 2 8C62E 2DD6E 2?5 9:> 4@?E:?F:?8 H:E9 E96 AC@8C2> DA62<D G@=F>6D 23@FE 9:D 492C24E6C]”k^Am
kAm(:E9 p=6I 8C25F2E:?8 EH@ J62CD 28@[ r=:?6 4@F=5 92G6 366? =:<6 >@DE A2C6?ED :? E2<:?8 2 =6DD 92?5D\@? 2AAC@249 2?5 DFAA@CE:?8 E96 AC@8C2> 7C@> 272C] qFE r=:?6’D :?G@=G6>6?E :D 23@FE 4@?E:?F:?8 2 EC25:E:@? 96’D 96=5 4=@D6 E@ 9:D 962CE D:?46 E96 :?2F8FC2= E62> DE6AA65 @? E96 E6??:D 4@FCED :? |2C49 a__h]k^Am
kAm“xE’D E@@ >F49 7F? — =@G6 E@ 5@ :E[” r=:?6 D2:5] k^Am
kAm$@ 9@H =@?8 5@6D 96 6IA64E E@ DE2J @? 2D 2DD:DE2?E 4@249nk^Am
kAm“pD =@?8 2D E96J’== 92G6 >6[ x’== 36 E96C6[” r=:?6 D2:5] “yFDE 8@:?8 2C@F?5 E96 <:5D[ H96? E96J D66 >6 E96J’== D2J[ ‘pC6 J@F 8@:?8 E@ 4@249 E9:D J62C[ 4@249 r=:?6n pC6 J@F 8@:?8 E@ 4@249 E9:D J62C[ 4@249 r=:?6n’ $@ :E’D <:?5 @7 =:<6[ 9@H 42? J@F D2J ?@n”k^Am
