ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, April 2, 1997 TAG: 9704020019
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: community sports
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: CHRIS LANG THE ROANOKE TIMES
Sue Hollandsworth returns to her alma mater as women's tennis coach.
To replace longtime women's tennis coach Tom Hondras, Radford University needed to look no farther than down Virginia 8 to Floyd County.
Sue Hollandsworth, a New Jersey native who starred on the Radford team between 1984-87, took over as head coach of the program this season. Hondras influenced her then and now, as she recalled upon her return.
"It brought back a lot of memories," Hollandsworth said. "The stuff I learned from Dr. Hondras I have tried to teach these kids. He took us to a lot of places and gave us a lot of experience and a lot of memories."
Hollandsworth's tennis connection to the New River Valley extends beyond Radford. Her first coaching job was at Floyd County High School in 1993.
She led the Buffaloes to previously unattained heights. In her first season, her No. 1 singles and doubles teams advanced to Group A Region C competition. The next year, her No. 1 doubles team finished fourth in the state. It was the first time a Floyd County girls tennis team had ever advanced to the state level.
With Floyd being the first stop in Hollandsworth's coaching career, there was much to learn.
"You have to have a positive attitude as far as dealing with the girls," she said. "You always have to stay upbeat with them. You always have to keep the positive encouragement going. I never really found the negatives for them. If they get blown away, you find some positive aspect of their game and go from there."
Hollandsworth left Floyd County in 1995 to give birth to her third daughter. But that didn't mean an end to her coaching. A friend called after Hondras retired and said that Radford University was looking for a tennis coach.
"I think it is nice to have someone in that position that knows our program and our university," Radford Athletic Director Greig Denny said. "She was not only an alum, but someone who has played here and was successful. It was a factor."
This season has been trying for Hollandsworth and her young team. The transition from coaching high school to college tennis has been fairly easy. There have been two major differences. The talent is better and Hollandsworth must now recruit.
"She came in at a hard time that she hasn't recruited her own team yet," Denny said. "After the opportunity of having a year under her belt and a chance to recruit her own players, she can establish a foundation for the program."
Hollandsworth has made her imprint already on the program. She said that she already feels a bond with the team.
"We went to Florida and spring break," Hollandsworth said, pointing to a photograph of her and the team at Walt Disney World. "They call us 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' and I'm Snow White. I feel so close to these girls. I feel like they are my girls. They all enjoy doing things together. I still respect them as players, and they respect me as a coach. That's the most important thing is having the respect of your team."
If you have an idea for a story or note about recreational sports, call Chris Lang at 381-1664 in Montgomery County or Radford or 1-800-346-1234, extension 664 elsewhere or fax to 381-1656.
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Hollandsworthby CNB