How Steve Henry lifted state tennis scene as director of OKC Tennis Center
Several things come to mind when Jordan Henry thinks about her dad, Steve.
His perfectionism.
His passion for tennis.
But one thing stands out from everything else about the family’s patriarch.
“Very hard worker,” Jordan said. “That was his thing. And that’s what got him some of the accomplishments and got him to the places where he was. He was a very hard worker. And anything that he did, he did it 110%.”
Steve Henry’s drive and work ethic is well-known in the Oklahoma tennis community.
As director of the Oklahoma City Tennis Center, he paid close attention to details and did everything he could to promote the sport throughout the state and beyond.
Henry died of a neurological disease Tuesday at the age of 62.
But Henry’s footprint on the sport will never go away.
He made a huge impact on Oklahoma tennis, and he won’t be forgotten.
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“He made sure that he gave back as much as he got from the sport,” said Lisa Minihan, a well-known figure in the state tennis community and former Oklahoma and Missouri Valley president of the United States Tennis Association.
“He was very involved in not-for-profits regarding tennis and very involved in volunteer leadership. And I think that was something that was very important to him, was that service and giving back to a game that he felt had given him so much.”
Although Henry didn’t play high school tennis, the Oklahoma City native competed throughout his adult life and was obsessed with the sport.
He worked for General Motors before retiring in 2006 and taking over at Earlywine Tennis Center in 2007.
In 2009, he became the director of Oklahoma City Tennis Center, and that’s where he truly made his mark and lived out his dream.
“That’s a real important step with Steve and Oklahoma tennis because he becomes actually the spearhead for tennis in Oklahoma City,” said Yukon High School coach Barney Moon, who was good friends with Henry and knew him for more than 30 years.
“Runs the tennis center, organizes the tennis center, organizes the fundraising for the indoor tennis complex and improvements on the tennis center itself. An excellent business manager. … He took over the Oklahoma City tennis facility and absolutely turned it into one of the premier destinations in all of Missouri Valley.”
Among Henry’s biggest imprints relates to high school tennis.
Throughout the country, most state tennis tournaments don’t have all of its classifications competing at one location.
But that isn’t the case in Oklahoma.
All players compete at Oklahoma City Tennis Center for the state tournament, and Henry made sure everything went smooth.
“His impact for the state tournament was huge,” said David Minihan, the husband of Lisa Minihan and an Oklahoma Tennis Hall of Famer who runs Edmond Center Court. “Steve and his team brought the state high school tournament to a completely new level. It’s probably one of the most popular tournaments of the year in our state.
“He brought an environment I guess that was extremely positive for the high school state tournament. I think they have over 2,000 spectators that would come and watch. But it was so well run.”
Henry, who started seeking medical help last month for an issue that still isn’t clearly understood, helped revitalize the state tournament when he took over Oklahoma City Tennis Center.
“He kind of set the bar,” David Minihan said. “Not only just making it a wow factor in Oklahoma but throughout the entire country. It’s very unique in tennis to have all the classes play at the same facility.
“And there’s a reason why – it’s because it’s extremely difficult to run. He did such a great job running that tournament.”
Henry had some great memories from the state tournaments he helped put on over the years.
Perhaps the most special one was when his daughter Jordan claimed a Class 6A No. 1 singles state title in 2015 when she was at Southmoore, completing an undefeated senior season.
She went on to play at Abilene Christian, and her dad was there for nearly every match.
But Henry didn’t just enjoy watching his daughter play.
He loved the sport in general, and his reach extended beyond Oklahoma City as he served as the Oklahoma UTSA president and a few months ago was named the Missouri Valley UTSA president, overseeing districts in several states, including Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and OkIahoma.
Henry’s passion will be remembered by those who knew him best, and the tennis community is better because of him.
“Steve’s loss creates a huge loss in our industry,” David Minihan said.
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Celebration of life for Steve Henry
When: 5-9 p.m. Friday
Where: OKC Tennis Center
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City Tennis Center director Steve Henry dies at 62
