Criner Showcases Unwavering Commitment to Tennis

At 71 years old, Criner — who had to retire a second time a decade ago due to overworking in the aftermath of her initial retirement — frequently rises at 6:00 a.m. to work out under the watch of her husband and “coach,” Jordan Criner. Prior to her knee injury, Criner played tennis just about every day. Now she’s scaled that back to three or four times per week.

Criner has captained a USTA St. Louis 55 & Over team for several seasons and has competed on that squad for 17 years at Vetta Sunset. She captains an 18 & Over team that she took over from Rose Albrecht, who Criner called “my mentor. She’s as sweet on the court as she is off the court. I learned my captaining skills from her.”

Criner has captained a World TeamTennis squad for multiple years. She’s done permanent court time every Tuesday evening at Creve Coeur Racquet Club the previous six or seven years. She plays interclub. She takes clinics once a week at Vetta Sunset, a ritual she’s had for the past 15 years.

“In high school I did track, volleyball and basketball. I’ve always liked sports and being active,” Criner said. “I’m a competitive person. I’m also achievement-oriented. I wanted to get really good at it. It just makes me happy — that’s probably the biggest reason I’ve kept playing. After I’ve had a good practice session, I get a rush of endorphins.”

Criner moved from Michigan to St. Louis in second grade and has been here ever since. She was introduced to tennis via a unit her senior year at now-Harris-Stowe State University. Jordan — whom she married her sophomore year at Harris-Stowe — jumped in and played, too. As did Criner’s brother, which she said motivated her further. Criner played on public courts and at the schoolyard before joining a tennis club.

“I absolutely fell in love with it,” she said. “I would nag my husband, ‘Let’s go play tennis.’ I’d get mad because he wouldn’t hit the ball to me. My brother and some of his friends started. Tennis wasn’t that popular among black kids back then. When he got started, I started. It piggybacked together there.”

Upon graduating in 1972, Criner began a career in education that spanned a little more than 30 years. She started at Bryan Hill Elementary School in North St. Louis. She proceeded to help open Euclid Montessori and assisted in increasing integration there. It was the first public Montessori magnate school in St. Louis individuals didn’t need to pay to attend.

Criner continued at Euclid Montessori for 20 years before retiring at Shenandoah Elementary School in South City. Of her 30-plus years in education, 24 were spent in the classroom. Criner then transitioned into an administrative role training teachers. After retiring in 2008, Criner worked at a nonprofit for two years that developed teachers.

Throughout the decades, tennis remained a constant. Criner has competed in the sport for 50 years. She discovered USTA offerings in 1997. Her friend, Edwenda Ford, suggested they try to latch onto a local USTA team. Another friend — according to Criner — joked: “You guys are so bad nobody would want you on their team. You aren’t even coachable.” So Ford decided instead to form a squad of her own.

Criner and her 18 & Over 3.0 team captained by Albrecht advanced to USTA Nationals in 2005 in Palm Springs, California. The following year, Criner was part of a squad that captured the USTA Missouri Valley Senior Section Championship. Her daughter-turned-hitting-partner began playing tennis as a 3-year-old and competed at MICDS. And now Criner’s granddaughter, at the age of 4, is getting her start in the sport.

“Over the years I’ve made some really good friends,” Criner said. “I found out there’s just something about people who play tennis — they’re very open and accessible.”

Criner has volunteered with the Net Rushers Tennis Association as well as organizations in East St. Louis to promote grassroots tennis in underserved areas. She co-chaired the women’s tennis event at the 2017 St. Louis Senior Olympics. And in honor of her sister who died from breast cancer, Criner has organized and served as captain at the Rally Tennis for Cancer Care fundraiser for several years.

Now in her sixth decade of dedication to tennis, Criner said she “plans on playing until I absolutely can’t play anymore.”

“My husband jokes with his friends,” Criner said. “He’ll say, ‘If you call her up and say do you want to go to dinner, she’ll say no. But if you call her up and say meet me in California for tennis, she’s on the plane.’ I always liked activity. I don’t think of myself as a competitive person. But obviously I am. And the better I got at tennis, the better I wanted to be at it. I just kept going and going and going.”

To get involved in USTA St. Louis district league play, contact District League Coordinator for Adults Severine Huchet at leagues@ustastl.com