Hayden Gets Us in the Game

Life in tennis was not Ken Hayden’s first career. It started out with a layoff. 

Hayden worked for the railroad in 1982 when layoffs came. Little did he know that a front desk job would pave the way to a career in tennis clubs. 

His dedication to USTA National wheelchair play and other leagues and tournaments has earned him a USTA Missouri Valley Gold Star Award. The award recognizes those who support and grow the game in the USTA Missouri Valley.

“Back in 1982 when I was laid off from the railroad a friend of mine needed customer service help at a tennis club in Belleville called Oak Hill,” Hayden said. “I enjoyed the sport and needed to make money, so it was a perfect fit at the time. Five years later, I became the club manager when that friend decided to move on to another job. Then in 1995, Kings Point Racket Club was built and I was hired on to be general manager of the building and all the businesses.”

At Kings Point in Belleville, Ill., Hayden sets up leagues and clinics. In the early 2000's, Hayden began running many USTA Missouri Valley junior tournaments to try and fill courts at Kings Point, but to also help advance tennis in Southern Ill. Hayden also served on the USTA St. Louis District Board from 2014-2018.

Hayden is now the tournament director for the US Open USTA Wheelchair Championships. It is a labor of love for Hayden and those who help the tournament run smoothly. 

Unfortunately, the tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 but he hopes to see all the tournament participants back next year. 

Hayden’s involvement with wheelchair tennis began in 2004 when the Gateway Confluence Wheelchair Sports Foundation contacted Hayden with a desire to move the US Indoor Championships to Kings Point. 

“Kings Point was a fully accessible building per ADA and I was contacted by the people who ran the Gateway Confluence Wheelchair Sports Foundation looking to rent courts,” Hayden said. “I worked out a deal for them and that was my beginning into wheelchair tennis. They loved the place because they could come in the front door and go to the courts like all the other tennis players. You must understand most tennis clubs were built in the late 1960's early 1970's and handicap accessibility was not considered, just able-bodied people.” 

A few years later, the indoor tournament was so successful it needed to move back to St. Louis because it needed more courts. Additionally, the USTA asked Gateway Confluence if they wanted to take over the US Open USTA Wheelchair Championship and move the Super Series to the city. The Super Series is a group of tournaments just below the Slams. At that time, Hayden was only a volunteer.