Kendell Hale

Tennis coach has teaching in his blood

By: Nick Wells

Posted: 4/14/08

"Winning that first match was a huge lift for us, it wasn't a monkey on our back, it was King Kong," UMKC head tennis coach Kendell Hale said following the women's victory over Centenary that snapped a 58-match losing streak.

In his first year at the helm of the men's and women's tennis program, the former Rockhurst head coach is making noise. The girl's squad is already a success story.

After being picked to finish last in the conference, the team has pulled off back-to-back wins over IUPUI and Southern Utah University.

"They were struggling with confidence issues, because there were girls on the team that had never won a match," Hale said. "They were so used to losing I had to sort of break them of that."

Hale breeds confidence and brings a winning swagger to UMKC, after enjoying a significant amount of triumphs at Kangaroo neighbor Rockhurst where he compiled a record of 234-133.

Hale guided the Hawks to nine NCAA Tournament appearances in 10 years at the Division II University. His team finished the 1997 season as the 12th ranked team in the nation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and he was named Midwest Region Coach of the Year.

He is the only coach to ever be named United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) College Coach of the Year four times and has mentored six top-30 Division II student-athletes.

"He [Hale] has a strong national reputation and we feel fortunate to have him," UMKC Athletics Director Tim Hall said. "He is all substance and he is not a self-promoter."

The Kangaroo coach said the challenge of jumping from Division II to Division I and attempting to turn a program around was the main reason he wanted to coach the Roos.

"I had a great job, I could have stayed at Rockhurst as long as I wanted," Hale said. "I was sort of creating a legacy there. But I had watched UMKC for many years, and once they combined both the men's and women's programs, I knew UMKC was the beginning for me."

The ordained minister knows what it takes to win at this level, for he knows the conference very well after facing off with the likes of Oral Roberts University (ORU) while at Rockhurst. Yes, he is a minister as well, and is also the USPTA tester in Kansas City for anyone who wants to become certified to teach.

"I lost a lot of kids at Rockhurst to UMKC, because kids want to play [Division I]," Hale said. "UMKC was the only step up I could take without moving my whole family."

Hale's coaching roots are buried deep. The morals and ethics he instills in his players stem from life lessons learned from his mentor, his high school coach, who died of brain cancer.

"She basically said find something you love to do, and find a way to get paid for it, and that has been my motto ever since," Hale said. "She taught me to love the game, respect the game, and how to take care of others.

"I do not consider myself just a coach, I am also a counselor, a father, and a friend, and that is why I coach. It is all about the relationships, the road trips, and the memories."

The Northwest Missouri State graduate earned his degree in psychology and sociology, which go hand-in-hand with handling different players' personalities.

"At this level, everybody has the game, the question is, do they have it up here, and in here," Hale said as he pointed to his head and to his heart. "I do not coach any two players the same, because what motivates you may not motivate me, and what inspires you, may not inspire me."

When asked of the upside of Kangaroo tennis, Hale said "with every match we play, I get more and more excited. In the next three or four years, you are going to see a real big change."

Hale praised his assistant coach.

"The addition of assistant coach Dante Cipulli to my staff was terrific. He is one of the best players I have ever coached. His talent as a player was extraordinary and the way he interacts with the student-athletes is even better," Hale said.

Hale is also excited about where the program is heading.

"With Tim Hall in here as A.D., and a new Chancellor in Guy Bailey, people need to watch out for UMKC athletics. I tell the recruits, it is like the ground floor of Microsoft, you can get in now, or you can regret it 10 years from now if you don't," Hale said.

On the girls' side, the future looks bright with two blue chip recruits coming to UMKC this fall. Wichita, Kan. natives' Jessica Ball, a state champion and two-time doubles state champion, and Jillian Yakominich who was a three-time state place winner.

"There is no reason UMKC cannot out recruit teams around here," Hale said. "I want UMKC to compete at the national level, not just in conference, because our standard is not the conference teams, it is the Wichita State's and the Drake's, those kinds of schools are going to be our benchmarks."

nwells@unews.com