COLUMBUS – Former MUW tennis player and coach Terrie Gooch added another honor to her long list of awards on Jan. 31 in the form of enshrinement into the Mississippi Tennis Hall of Fame as a part of the Class of 2025.
The New Albany native who made a long-time home in Columbus said it was a “special night and a special honor” to join the hallowed hall after spending 53 years teaching and playing the game of tennis.
“The Mississippi Tennis Association did a fabulous job of putting it on,” Gooch told The Dispatch. “The event is actually sponsored by the Tennis Foundation of Mississippi, which (awards) scholarships to young players in both instruction and tournament play, so it was a great event. Even since that night I just keep thinking of stories and experiences and times together with kids, times together with myself, so you’re basically celebrating a lifetime of tennis. It was a fabulous night.”
Gooch was introduced to the sport of tennis at 12 years old and went on to be a two-time state finalist at the then-named W.P Daniel High School in New Albany. After her high-school career, Gooch accepted a scholarship to continue playing the sport at The W.
“I moved into the dorm on my 18th birthday and have been in Columbus ever since,” Gooch said.
After representing the Owls as a player, Gooch began teaching the sport at S.D. Lee High School and then at Heritage Academy. She led nine teams to state championships and was named the USPTA Southern High School Coach of the Year during her tenure.
Also during that time, Gooch earned professional certification as a tennis coach through the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) and was one of only 5% of those testing to receive the highest ranking PTR Professional and USPTA certifications at the time.
After spending seven years at Heritage, the opportunity to return to MUW as its tennis coach presented itself and Gooch said she had to take it.
“(Columbus-based tennis opportunities) just keep falling in my lap. So, being in Columbus was meant to be, apparently, but at the same time I have always loved Columbus,” she said. “I love Columbus, I love the people, I love the tennis. So, I’ve been here ever since.”
Gooch returned to MUW to lead the tennis program for seven years, including an undefeated season in 1991, while also teaching the sport at Old Waverly Golf Club as the resident tennis professional.
“It was interesting to experience the things I had experienced as a player and then to provide those same opportunities for others to compete and travel, so it was actually an honor to be in that position,” Gooch said of coaching at MUW.
She then became the first full-time tennis pro at the Magnolia Tennis Club in Columbus and served in that role for 13 years before winding down her coaching career to teach physical education at Franklin Academy.
Gooch left a mark on those she coached while also impacting the sport at its upper levels. Gooch was a certified official, served as the Mississippi Tennis Association Officials’ Chairman and as a USTA & USPTA National Schools Clinician. Gooch also was a tournament director for numerous USTA-sanctioned tournaments and hosted the USA Senior Mixed Doubles State Championship, which won the Southern Team Tennis Event of the Year Award, and ran multiple charity tournaments for Bethany Christian Services, winning the MTA Special Event of the Year Award. Gooch was also a member of the Wilson Advisory Staff, served as a USTA League Verifier, developed a criteria for rating tennis tournaments in Mississippi that was soon adopted by the MTA and served as the president of the Alliance of Mississippi Tennis Professionals.
She ended her tennis career with many awards and honors, some of which include the Mississippi Pro of the Year, Official of the Year, Mississippi’s Educational Merit Award, USPTA Top 10 Distinguished Professional for Continuing Education and the USPTA Southern President’s Service Award.
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