Missouri Valley / Missouri

Q&A with USTA Missouri President Glenn Pelecky

Jeff Kessinger | September 22, 2020

We recently took some time to chat with USTA Missouri President Glenn Pelecky in order for you all to get to know him better. Read our Q&A interview below: 

 

USTA.com: What is your mission as USTA Missouri President?

 

Pelecky: My mission is to provide the opportunity for everyone in the district to experience the joy of hitting a tennis ball. 

 

USTA.com: Who is in your family?

 

Pelecky: My wife, Debbie, and two sons, Brian and Kyle. Brian and his wife, Kara, have four kids: Loran, Hunter, Beran and Evan. Kyle and his wife, Marcy, have kids Colin and Hayden.

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USTA.com: Who is your favorite tennis player?

 

Pelecky: Billie Jean King, for her skill as a tennis player and mostly for her unselfish dedication to equality for all people regardless of race or gender. She used her status as a champion to give those less fortunate than her the same access she enjoyed as a result of her "gifted" talent.

 

USTA.com: What USTA Leagues have you played in and have you served as a captain?

 

Pelecky: I have played on over 30 different USTA teams in three districts since I started playing tennis in 1971 when I finished my college football career as a senior. Tennis provided me with the opportunity to continue to play a sport that was physically and mentally challenging and league play offered the  camaraderie I missed from not  being part of a team. I served as captain of nearly all the teams I played on mostly because no one else wanted to be captain, but also because it gave me a sense of giving back to the sport I came to love.

 

USTA.com: What is your best tennis memory?

 

Pelecky: Every time I play a match with my son or my granddaughter.

 

USTA.com: What racket do you play with?

 

Pelecky: Babolat Max Drive 110

 

USTA.com: What is your favorite thing about the sport?

Pelecky: The rules and nature of the game makes you a better person by requiring you to do the right thing when only you will know if you don't.  

 

USTA.com: Tell us a little bit about where you are from.

 

Pelecky: I grew up and went to Omaha Central High School in Omaha, Nebraska. I worked for the Omaha Public Schools as a teacher and administrator for nine years and then served as superintendent in Oxford, Nebraska, for four years and Raymond Central Schools in Raymond, Nebraska, for four years. We then moved to Bettendorf, Iowa, where I served and retired from the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency after 25 years of service as their Chief Administrator.

 

USTA.com: Do your kids play tennis?

 

Pelecky: Everyone in the family has been taught tennis by me. Two of them, Loran and Kyle, played competitively in high school. Both served as captains of their respective teams and were named Most Valuable Player during their careers. Both continue to play.

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