Sometimes we forget what’s in a name! This past weekend I had the good fortune of watching our kids participate in the Jack Wallington Tennis Classic. I’m lucky enough to know why this tennis tournament is named after Jack, but a lot of times we kind of forget why we pay homage to some people. This week as we celebrate this tournament and two young people who did very well finishing first, I’d also like to remind us and share a little bit about what it means to be a community member and support Springfield and ultimately Jack Wallington.
Jack Wallington is one of those people who had a distinguished career here at Springfield. Over his 30-year career, Jack was not only a math teacher, but he also was a coach. The ironic thing is, Jack coached two sports, wrestling and tennis, neither of which he had ever participated in. Jack was one of those people who saw a need and then did everything he could to help bring it to fruition. Through the years, Jack brought several kids along and shared the game of tennis and a love of wrestling. I, myself, remember having Jack as a wrestling coach and all that he taught me in middle school. Jack saw a need in our community and chose to give his free time and learn to coach and share a passion for the sake of the community and kids. If you look in our Athletic Hall of Fame, you’ll see various members from Jack’s teams inducted because they had distinguished tennis careers largely because of Jack.
As I celebrate the great tournament that we had this past weekend to allow people to come out and compete at Springfield High School, I’m reminded of what’s in a name. In this case, the Jack Wallington Tennis Classic is well named and well deserved to represent the legacy that Jack left. Jack passed away last year at the age of 89 and this is the first time we’ve had that tournament without him. But it’s nice to know that his name will live on with a purpose. I hope his story can remind all of us to dedicate the time and give to the community as it means so much.
So congratulations to this year’s winners and all competitors of the Jack Wallington Tennis Classic. Congrats to Ava and Kyla for their first place finish. For an old guy like me, it means the world that they stood in front of the tennis sign for the Jack Wallington Tennis Complex. We have a lot of outstanding young people and Ava and Kyla are certainly in that category. Jack would have loved seeing your win. Congratulations.
