Forty five years, hundreds of matches, thousands of tennis balls and countless hours. Coach Dee Henry will hand off the reigns of the women’s tennis team at the end of this season after almost a half century of coaching.

Her tenure was honored at the women’s team last home match on April 5. The team held its largest audience of the season as several alumni from multiple decades witnessed their college coach finish doing what she loves.

LIFE LESSONS

Unfortunately, the team lost to conference opponent Westmont College 9-0, dropping Coach Dee’s cumulative record to 318-558. She has also produced one national champion and a championship doubles team. While always wanting to stay competitive, she has always focused on developing the characters of her players and maintaining a strong representation of Christianity in their play.

Junior Kelsey Post spent three seasons playing for Henry and reflects upon some of the life lessons she will keep with her during her last year of college tennis and the rest of her life.

“Patience and knowing that God is our only audience, and that’s ultimately who you’re pleasing,” Post said. “So it doesn’t matter if you’re down in a game or whatever, whatever you’re doing, God’s always on your side.”

FAR BEYOND BIOLA

Henry’s recognition has spread far beyond Biola’s campus. In March 2016, she won the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Educational Merit Award. She sits on the board of directors for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association and won the Pete Brown Lifetime Achievement Award for service in 2014.

“She loves to have fun and she loves to laugh and always has a good mood and is just the most encouraging person I have ever met,” said junior Madeline Heer. “I’ll always remember all of her encouragement and just care for me and our team and just know that even if next year, even though she’s not the head coach if I ever needed to go to her for anything that she would be there for any of us because she loves people so much.”

PLANS TO CONTINUE

While Henry will no longer coach the women’s team next season, she plans to continue to teach the tennis Kinesiology, Health and Physical Education courses through Biola and maintain her active involvement with the courts.  

“It was bittersweet,” Heer said. “We’re all very excited for and happy for all the service that she’s done and that she gets to keep doing but we’re sad that she’s leaving the head coaching position. It’s a part of her life that she has to let go.”