Who Is Gar Glenney?
NorCal Staff | May 1, 2017

Martha Katsufrakis, SoCal Tennis Association
I first met Gar Glenney about 1972 when I was running some senior tennis tournaments in Las Vegas at the Last Frontier Hotel where he was the tennis pro. He was a very tall, handsome and pleasant man. The tournaments were in September, and as soon as they finished on Sunday, he headed up North to go fishing (which I understood to be his second love after tennis.) I understand he and our (Southern California's) Jim Hillman decided to have a competition between Northern and Southern California that became the Gar Glenney Cup. I tell you this because you all probably thought that this was a made up name, but I knew him. And I have the picture to prove it!
Mark Winters, Director of Communications SoCal Tennis Association
I first met Gar Glenney when he was the Director of Tennis at a hotel in Reno that was hosting an Adidas sponsored intercollegiate tournament.
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Glenney moved to Las Vegas, and the tournament followed. Having been an outstanding player throughout the state and southwest before he became a respected teaching professional, Glenney was always interested in providing opportunities for youngsters to not only improve their tennis, but to become better individuals. After Jim Hillman's Jr. Team Tennis concept (which was a success in Southern California and became a program in Northern California), the idea of a state playoff between the top teams from both sections became a discussion point. Once it was decided to hold an annual Jr. Team Tennis competition (with California bragging rights at stake), a name was needed. Because of all that Glenney had done for many years to make junior tennis better, it was decided to call the event the Gar Glenney Cup.
Photo Circa 1974: (L to R) Martha Katsufrakis, Garret Glenney and Margaret James