The game of tennis is becoming more popular than ever in DeKalb County, thanks in part to a local coach who is introducing the game to all ages. Coach Brian Cadle serves as the Head Tennis Coach for DeKalb County High School and the newly formed DeKalb Middle School teams. But, teaching school teams isn’t his only tie to the game. Cadle has taken it upon himself to host local tournaments and tennis camps to introduce everyone to the sport of kings.
“I helped get the middle school team started and we got board approval last fall,” Cadle told the Smithville Review. “I found a middle school league in Rutherford County that plays in the fall. That allows me to coach the middle school team full time, while my assistant coach runs the high school team during the fall program.”
“The middle school program ends around fall break, and we have try-outs for the high school team right after that. The timing has been really good. Our district teams at the high school level, they all play in the spring,” Cadle explained.
“The Middle School plays at the Adams Tennis Complex in Murfreesboro, where MTSU plays. It’s kind of the hub for tennis for adults and youth. We play over there twice a week, through the months of September and October.
“Our high school teams play in the spring,” Cadle said. “Our first practice day is February 13, and our first match is around March 13. Boys and girls play the same season, playing district matches, and we end around the first or second week of May. “
The tennis courts at the Smithville Golf Course are the home courts for the high school teams, while the middle school teams only play road matches because they are connected to the Murfreesboro league.
But, the tennis season doesn’t end with the school teams for Cadle. He hosts local tournaments for players around the region, as well as exposing the game to new players young and old.
Cadle recently held a tournament at Smithville Golf Course. “This is an amateur tournament called the Smithville Slam,” Cadle explained. “It’s a tournament that I’ve set up on my own. This is me as a tennis advocate and coach, outside of my official roles in my own endeavor. We have people here from Putnam, Cannon, Wilson, and DeKalb County playing. I have a group of players that I work with and I started this on my own to try to grow the game of tennis around here.”
“We will also have a tournament July 24-27, the Caney Fork Open,” Cadle continued. “We started that last year, so I’m running two tournaments in Smithville in the summer. We have singles and doubles matches for both men and women. It’s a small tournament right now, so we have all on one bracket, adults and kids playing in the same bracket. It’s open to all age groups.”
To participate in the tournament it cost $20 per player, per event.
Cadle is also running a couple of tennis camps for young players, the Tiger Tennis Camp for grades K-8. The next camp will be held on July 17-21.
For more information on the upcoming tournament or the tennis camp, you can contact Coach Cadle at 931-644-1791.
“My goal is to teach the game of tennis to kids when they are a lot younger, so they have a base for the game before we see them in high school or middle school.
