Inductees

The plan seemed simple enough after high school: head from his hometown of St. Louis down to Springfield, attend college on a tennis scholarship and win.

Little did Gary Goetz realize that he would carve out quite a post-college career in the Ozarks’ queen city – and make an impact far beyond athletics.

Rising through SRC Holdings, a remanufacturing company, and becoming Executive Vice President, Goetz consistently threw his support behind local non-profits.

That’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame is honoring Goetz with the President’s Award, bestowed on individuals who champion the Hall of Fame and athletics across the state.

Among the causes he loves is the PGA Korn Ferry Tour’s Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper, an event managed by the Hall of Fame. It has gifted nearly $18.4 million to Ozarks children’s charities since 1990.

“One of the most rewarding moments is the Celebration of Sharing when you see the money being distributed to all the charities in the local area,” Goetz said. “Knowing that SRC has been a long-time supporter of this celebration makes me proud. It is part of our culture of giving back to the community.”

Goetz has been involved with the Price Cutter tournament for 25 years, as NewStream Enterprises – a part of SRC – joined in 1997 as an umbrella sponsor. SRC later sponsored the SRC Pro-Am beginning in 2003, and it has continued every year since.

“Gary has been a great friend to the Hall of Fame and the Price Cutter tournament,” said Jerald Andrews, the former longtime CEO & Executive Director of the Hall of Fame. “His support has simply meant a lot, and we are grateful.”

NewStream Enterprises has been a corporate sponsor of the Hall of Fame since 2002, and Goetz has served on the Hall of Fame’s Governing Board for nearly a dozen years. His support of numerous events, such as Celebrity Golf Classics, Enshrinements, luncheons and PCCC-related pro-ams has made a positive impact on both organizations.

“The Hall of Fame is a platform to tell the stories of those individuals or programs that have dedicated their lives to a sport and get recognized for these efforts,” Goetz said. “I am always surprised by the number of successful sports programs and individuals in Missouri. It is just awesome to share these stories with the community.”

Goetz knows the important impact that athletics can have on individuals. After all, he played baseball, basketball, tennis and soccer, with his dad coaching his youth teams.

Goetz played varsity tennis at Lindbergh High School in St. Louis for three seasons. He helped the team win state his senior year in 1984, when Goetz won a district title in doubles and finished fourth in the state tournament.

He later played four years of tennis at Drury University, winning more than 100 matches. Only four other players had 100-plus match victories at the end of 1988. That year, he and a doubles partner won districts to advance to the national championships.

Soon, Goetz married and joined SRC not long after he heard Jack Stack, the founder, CEO and president, speak at a conference. There, Stack emphasized he wanted employees with well-rounded experiences and former athletes because of their competitive spirit.

Goetz applied for a customer service representative role and, after five years in sales, he was asked to run NewStream Enterprises.

“This was an amazing experience and allowed me to develop my management skills,” Goetz said. “SRC gives you the ability and tools to run a company but then expects you to grow the business. It was exciting to work with a great team and build a successful division of SRC.”

Looking back, Goetz thanks Stack for his mentorship, as well as that of then-Drury tennis coach Dan Cashel.

He also is proud to be friends with Andrews.

“Jerald’s dedication to the Hall of Fame has always inspired me to do more,” Goetz said. “I know that everything we do at the Hall of Fame is to support the community and all those that have dedicated their time to make it a better place. It is definitely one of the best in the U.S. and one that Springfield should be proud to house in its town.”

Additionally, Goetz has been married to Sheri for 34 years, and they are parents to Kaitlin, a Drury graduate.

“(Sheri) is the one that gives me strength. I can always count on her for advice and support,” Goetz said. “And I am very proud of Kaitlin’s accomplishments and the person she is today.”