Inductees

She arrived at Springfield in 1968 and, after helping the tennis team at Missouri State University to success, realized she didn’t want to put away her racquet for good.

Jean Larrick loves to tell this story, just as she loves tennis. In 1980, she was hired by Jodie Adams (MSHOF President’s Award 2017) to be a professional tennis teacher and coach for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. It set her up for life.

“Playing in the national AIAW competition increased my interest in tennis for life and forged lifelong friendships,” Larrick said. “My college career allowed me to make money doing the things I loved most – tennis.”

Larrick became one of the most respected tennis instructors and players in Springfield, and it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted her with the Class of 2025.

Larrick has been playing tennis for nearly 72 years, going back to her childhood days in Decatur, Ill. She excelled as a player, educator, coach and tennis official in Springfield and nationally for more than 60 years.

In essence, Larrick has taught every highly ranked youth player in the area at Springfield Cooper Tennis Complex, and played and coached on various U.S. Tennis Association teams.

Additionally, she has won more than 200 titles in singles, doubles and mixed competitions at national, sectional, regional, district and local levels.

She has … four National Public Parks championships in age groups 25 to 55, top singles and doubles national rankings in the United States Tennis Association Missouri Valley in age groups 25 to 65, worked as a coach and tournament director at various events and been a certified USTA umpire and referee for over 20 years.

Her many awards include a USTA Heart of America District 1990 Community Service Award, USTA Missouri Valley District Outstanding Contributor to USTA League Program, 2003 Perry Lifetime Achievement Award presented at the National Public Parks Tennis Championships, 2007 Women’s Intersport Network Women’s Senior Sports Award, 2016 USTA Missouri District Community Service Award and 2020 USTA Missouri Valley Golden Star Award.

She took up the sport in grade school in Decatur, Ill., after spotting a tennis racquet and mistaking it for a snowshoe.

Early mentors were Doris Sphar, a physical education teacher, and tennis coach Duane Garver.

“Tennis is in my DNA,” Larrick said. “My first mentor was my mother, Mildred. She was the best beginning mentor one could have. Mother singularly raised five children after the passing of my dad, Carl. My mother encouraged education, work and sports and in that order.”

As a teen, she was part of five state championship softball teams in Decatur. Then, after attending Millikin University, Larrick and her son, Michael, joined a friend in relocating to the Ozarks.

She then played at Missouri State, helping the 1977 team win the MIAA and AIAW regional championships, and compete in the AIAW nationals.

“Playing on (MSU) winning teams was an awesome experience,” Larrick said. “In fact, it was one of the best experiences of my life.”

Larrick earned a teaching degree and was an adaptive physical education teacher in Springfield and Republic, and used her additional time to teach tennis with the Park Board.

She and Adams had been friends since age 11, and it was Adams who helped her become certified through the Professional Tennis Registry.

“Tennis has enabled me to network a large percentage of the Springfield population. Having taught at least 30,000 students over 44 years provided me with lifelong friendships and companions that have influenced my life,” Larrick said.

Her pupils have included Teresa Emerson, Kelly Kramer, Maggie Taylor, Hesun Kim as adults, and high schoolers Rachel Dwyer, Ann Beatty and many more.

Best of all, she tailored her instruction to fit each player.

And her 200 titles certainly gave her clout. In Professional Tennis Registry, she won the 45 and older was runner-up in 1991 and won it in 1992 and later was the PTR Coach of the Year in 2023.

Among her wins were multiple National Parks Championships. In the 25-and-older division, she and Adams were second in doubles. At 40, she was second in singles, won at 45 singles, at 45 in mixed doubles, at 55 singles and at 55 doubles with Karol Simpson.

She also won the 45 singles and was fourth in the 35 USTA Clay Court Championships in women’s doubles.

Years later, Larrick earned induction into the Springfield Sports Hall of Fame, the UTSA Missouri Valley Hall of Fame and earned several Coach the Year honors.

What a career it’s been.