Larrick Shares Love of Tennis and Fun with Players

The email sat in her inbox for a few days, but it didn’t make the news any less exciting for Jean Larrick. The tennis teaching pro at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield is the recipient of a USTA Missouri Valley Gold Star award.

“I saw the email about 3 days after it was sent,” Larrick said. “I was surprised and quite delighted for this award.”

In honor of its 100th anniversary this year, USTA Missouri Valley is recognizing 100 deserving tennis providers, players, partners and more throughout the section. These Gold Star awards recognize contributions to support and grow the game in USTA Missouri Valley.

Larrick has taught the game for decades — including 20-plus years at Cooper — and her tennis story stretches back even further. Larrick picked up the game at age 10 in her hometown of Decatur, Illinois.

“A good friend of mine got me started,” Larrick said, noting she had a wonderful pro named Duane Garver. “I took some local free recreational tennis lessons to get started and I never quit.”

From lessons she moved on to tournaments, at the local, district and section levels. Larrick played tennis collegiately at Milliken University and finished her career at then-Southwest Missouri State University in 1979.

Though her college days were behind her, tennis was most certainly not. Larrick played some pro tournaments for less than a year and played many sectional tournaments in USTA Missouri Valley. She won five National Public Park Tournaments as well as USTA Tournaments in the Missouri Valley, and played doubles with Jodie Adams for years. Larrick also served as sectional head league verifier in the late 1980s and early 1990s and also served as a national league verifier.

Larrick is also an educator.

“I was an adaptive physical education teacher in real life and have taught tennis for over 40 years here in Springfield,” she said.

But that is not all. Larrick was nominated for her dedication to teaching the game, continuing her education and providing a positive customer experience.

“Jean may not run all these areas but she is a great supporter and the best at spreading the word to her students and the parents of youth students, and has helped volunteer or recruit volunteers for many events,” Lindsay Hall, USTA Missouri Community Tennis Manager, said.

It’s not just a job for Larrick. She enjoys continuing to learn new tricks to help educate her students.

“You can always learn something new for any age,” she said. “There are good, fun lead-up skills for all ages.”

Fun, it turns out, is a big part of the game for Larrick.

“I’m very dependable and great with beginning children and adults in tennis,” she said. “I have a great sense of humor with a lot of tricks and games for all tennis players.”

Larrick has given her time off the courts, too. Along with volunteering with children with disabilities in tennis for many years, she also has volunteered with the American Heart Association.

“My dad died very young with heart disease, so I started with the neighborhood heart association collecting money,” Larrick said. “I was probably around 25 at that time and did some Heart Association volunteer work in Springfield. I was good at getting money for the Heart Association.”