The picture on the screen captured him perfectly, hitting a beautiful backhand volley. Smooth as silk.
That’s the way I remember Ken Jantz.
That’s the way many of the people in the standing-room-only crowd at Celebration Church last Saturday morning remember Ken Jantz. A mixture of tennis friends, church friends, and family friends gathered for the Celebration of Life service for Jantz, who passed away Aug. 19 at age 77.
I remember Jantz because of his silky-smooth groundstrokes, one-handed backhands, serve-and-volley game. There wasn’t much better natural tennis than a doubles match featuring Jantz and Lance Dreyer – for years one of the top teams in both the city and state.
Jantz was the first tennis pro at South Shreveport Tennis Center (now called Southern Hills) when it opened in 1975 and served in that capacity over 20 years. In 1985, he started the first program for wheelchair players and accepted the award for Outstanding Tennis Facility by the United States Tennis Association.
“He leaves us a great legacy because of his character and his love for the game,” says former pro and coach Jerry Montgomery. “The thing that stands out to me about Ken was his integrity. He was a man of truth who you could really trust.
“He would tell you what he thought, not in a mean-spirited way, but straightforwardly and directly. He earned great respect because of that, and he was dependable and reliable.”
Yes, straightforward and direct is how Becky McFarlain remembers Jantz. Many years ago, she faced Jantz in a mixed doubles match not long after moving to the area.
“I was so nervous because I heard he was a pro and could beat everyone,” recalls McFarlain. “I quickly learned there was no such thing as ‘I think the ball was out.’ Ken came to the net with his massive fit self, hands in the net, saying, ‘No such thing! It’s either in or out!’ I was so nervous, shaking and pointed my finger ‘out,’ too afraid to utter a word.
“He never served that ‘Ken Jantz serve’ that would either break my wrist (if I made contact) or cause me embarrassment by swinging at it so hard as it passed by me. Instead, he opted to consistently hit a kick serve that bounced over my head. Either way . . . I have not seen anyone who could hit a serve like that.
“Turns out this massive figure of a man was not only a great tennis player, but a gentleman of a giant.”
He was a giant, alright. At 6-2, 200+ pounds, Jantz was quite a presence on the tennis court – earning the nickname “bigun,” according to good friend Jimmy Livesay.
“Ken was an awesome serve-and-volley player, not a great mover but big power,” says Livesay, pro at Racket Club Indoors. “I first met him in 1979 when I moved to Shreveport to work for KROK radio. When I started teaching at POTC in 1981, Ken encouraged me to get certified by the United States Professional Tennis Association. He was my sponsor and was very involved in the organization.”
Jantz will be remembered not only for being big in stature, but also in heart.
“Ken treated everyone the same,” says Montgomery. “It didn’t matter what your age was, the color of your skin, or the level of your skill. As a result, he developed a very loyal following. He was such a good tennis professional – a teacher and a coach – who developed some really good players.”
As the pastor said Saturday, “Life is like tennis; those who serve well seldom lose.”
Ken Jantz served well.
Contact Harriet at sbjharriet@gmail.com