Little Rock father encourages children to play tennis

Little Rock, Arkansas – Even though it has been quite cold in Little Rock this week, Kreth Simmons continues to attend his court at the Baseline Tennis Center.

“It’s just a love and a passion I have for tennis. My family is embedded in it now,” he said.

He does mean it too—his daughter Emory won the state championship at Parkview High School, and his son Elliot was just selected head coach of the women’s tennis team at Grambling State University.

“You know you’re going to get nervous at times watching your kids compete because everyone wants to win.

But that scoreboard doesn’t divert our attention,” Simmons added.

With the founding of the Baseline Tennis Center about 20 years ago, Simmons has been a father figure to a generation of kids in addition to his three own children.

He provides families that might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn about and enjoy the game of tennis with an opportunity to play and learn at the tennis facility.

“This is my 19th year here at the Baseline Tennis Center. We’ve had over 800 kids here to attend my summer camps.

That is enormous for this side of town,” Simmons described. “Former campers have joined the military branches, went to college, or whatever affiliation they want to be with in life. They came through here at the Baseline Tennis Center.”

For him, it’s not just about winning and recognition either. There is a lot more to the tennis racket than meets the eye.

“I call it a master key because it can unlock any door. You’re going to meet people you never would have dreamed that you could meet. You don’t have to be a grand slam champion. You don’t have to play in the U.S. Open,” he added.

Coach Simmons is a father figure to all, whether he has 15, 30, or 40 children to love.

“Teaching kids you can be anything you want to be in life. Use this as one of your resources to get you there,” he said.