Art Stout is a Legend

Imagine loving something so much, you did it for 53 years. . . well, that's Art Stout and Kirkwood Tennis.  He's retiring this year after 53 years of coaching.  I was fortunate enough to start my teaching career at Kirkwood High School while Art was still there.  In fact, I taught one class in his room my first year.  Today, when I sat and talked with him, I remembered how he could say the simplest things to you, and coming from him, they would somehow mean something more.  I love basketball.  I coached it at Kirkwood High School for 10 years.  It wore me out.  I'm much younger than Art Stout.  My legs work better.  But I could only go 10.  He's on 53!  He's been coaching longer than I've been alive.  I'm amazed.

Drew Morris is in my class this year.  He's a really nice kid.  How 'bout this. . . he had a tumor removed from his neck last year.  Vertebrae were fused together.  He's back playing tennis and playing at a high level.  He's so relaxed for someone who plays with such focus and intensity.  I'm really impressed!

Ben Leible is also in my class.  He's a funny kid.  Makes me laugh every day.  The other students really like him.  He surprised me with his intensity on the tennis court.  I like this picture for a couple of reasons.  I tried to get the sun at this angle, and use the dark background with with yellow and green.  I thought it looked cool against his hat.  What I didn't plan on was his shadow appearing on his racket.  Got lucky there.