Little Rock coach honored by mayor on birthday

“My god aunt and uncle own the property here with one court. I just stopped here one day to see what they wanted to do with the court, and she said she would like to start running tennis camps,” Simmons said. “I didn't have an inkling about what to do or anything. I just went out on a whim and tried to make something look like it did across town with the other country clubs.”

From those early days, Simmons has seen the interest at Baseline grow. He’s taught more than 800 kids over the last two decades, many of whom had never held a racquet before arriving at his court.

“I'm dealing with a whole different type of people. I'm coming from another side of the tracks,” Simmons said. “People that I'm dealing with don't have this in their background. It's not even in the DNA. So, I must have the knowledge. I gotta have all the details where I can make it feasible and make it approachable for the kids and make it fun for them, because they didn't grow up with this in their household.”

USTA Arkansas praises Simmons

USTA Arkansas Executive Director Deanna Garretson commended Simmons for all he’s done to attract more kids to the courts.

"Kreth has been instrumental in introducing many juniors to tennis who would not have otherwise been exposed, fostering a love for the sport among youth from underrepresented communities and helping to break down barriers to access,” Garretson said.

Although many credit Simmons for helping improve their lives through tennis, he’s equally grateful for what he’s gained through teaching the sport.

“I'm just overwhelmed when I walk through the gate and cross these white lines. It just does something to me. I use tennis as therapy. It’s therapeutic for me. It's a ministry for me,” Simmons said. “I can't get you to the US Open, but I can get you to love tennis. Because tennis starts with love. That's the score at the start. 0-0 is love-love. Once you put the racquet in your hand, you will fall in love with it. You will.”

At a time when obesity levels are sky high and technology keeps more kids sedentary, Simmons views tennis as an antidote.

“There’s a lot of health opportunities in tennis. Tennis does so much for you when it comes to cardiovascular and mental strength,” he said. “And this is geometry. These kids are taking geometry, trigonometry and calculus in school. That's all this is on the court, working with degrees and angles and stuff. So, these kids can do this. I want the kids who come from the lower income communities to know that they can. You can participate in this.”

Simmons has no plans on slowing down any time soon. This fall, he’s helping coach the White Hall High tennis team in nearby Pine Bluff. The more he can spread the word about the sport, the more fulfilled he will feel.

“Tennis is the best sport on the planet to me. I can speak about tennis all day long. I can go the whole 24 hours a day. That's what tennis does for me and my family. We've received a lot of proceeds and benefits from tennis,” Simmons said. “Before I leave this planet Earth, I would like to share the opportunities that have been given to me. I would like to share them with other people and hopefully leave a legacy.”