I’d like to take a minute to tip my cap to the Manhattan High boys’ tennis program, and to give a little sermon in response to something the coach just said.
My fightin’ Indians just won their sixth straight Centennial League title, an amazing accomplishment when you consider a few factors. I’ll get back to those in a minute, but, first, the background and the story. I launch into this because the coach, Tony Ingram, in comments after the league meet, credited the guys who had come before, and that got me to thinking about the evolution.
Since the league’s founding, Washburn Rural had been the league powerhouse, winning the team title year after year after year. They sent lots of players to the state tournament, and even had a run of state team titles in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007. That is extremely hard to do when the power in tennis in Kansas for a generation has been centered in Johnson County.
Manhattan hadn’t really been any good as a tennis team since the mid-1980s. I know this because I played on the team from 1983 to 1986, and I’ve kept close tabs on it ever since. I came in right on the heels of Michael Center winning the state singles title, the only time a guy has ever done that at MHS. In 1982, MHS would have won the state team title, but in those days they didn’t keep track of that.
Anyway, during its remarkable run, Washburn Rural had one coach: Kevin Hedberg. He’s a great high school tennis coach, and a good guy. He’s still there.
Topeka also has the advantage of multiple facilities and teaching pros, so kids have a great chance to play year-round, with good instruction. Until a couple of months ago, Manhattan had one indoor facility with three courts (used at peak hours in the past decade by K-State) and terrible outdoor public courts. The courts at the high school itself were awful. Manhattan couldn’t really host a home meet.
MHS also had a parade of coaches. That’s not a knock on them; I like all of them. It’s just a factor to overcome.
And yet, starting in about 2010, Manhattan started to get a little better. I watched it happen. I was actually part of making it happen. What happened was that some guys on the team and their dads started getting together at City Park on Sundays to play doubles. It wasn’t great, but it got better. Then some more guys joined.
Then we started getting some pretty damn good athletes, most particularly several starters from the soccer team that was in contention for state titles routinely. One guy was central to that, and I have to tip my cap here to him, even though I’m biased: Kirkland Lambert, my nephew. He amped up the intensity, and the athleticism, and he brought guys along with him. He was an all-state guy in two sports. Collin Queal moved over from Hutchinson, and that amped it up yet again.
I also want to tip my cap to the Turnley brothers: Jonathan, Matt, Ben and Michael. They were all really good soccer players who became very solid doubles players, and they contributed points on the team in key moments, and they got themselves to the state tournament. There are many others: The Easton brothers and their dad, Todd, who himself is a really good doubles player. Obviously, the Harkins. Much more on them another day.
To be good at tennis — to be good at most group enterprises — you’ve got to have some stars, but more importantly you have to be good throughout your lineup. Dan Harkin is probably the best player in the state right now, but the reason MHS won its sixth straight title is also because the No. 2 doubles team knocked off Washburn Rural’s No. 1 team Wednesday. Classic example.
Anyway, little by little, Sunday by Sunday, those guys got better. By Kirkland’s junior year, 2015, they broke through and took the league title away from Rural. No way in the world did we figure the streak would last this long, but these things develop some momentum on their own. Gotta also give credit here where credit is due: Bob Kelly, Chuck Kipp, Joyce Allen, Brandon Starkey and Tony Ingram, the program’s coaches during that time, have played a significant role in getting it all going and sustaining it. I’ve gotten out of it, so I have no idea if the Sunday doubles gig is still going, but I have no doubt those guys are working hard at it.
Will it continue? No reason it can’t. Cracked courts? Doesn’t matter. A parade of coaches? Not the end of the world. The whole key is: Consistent work. Get a little better today. Pound the stone. These things probably sound familiar. They should. They work.
May 05, 2021 at 07:37PM
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FROM THE PUBLISHER | A joke to a power, via City Park - Manhattan Mercury
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