T
hey’re the fuel of champions, says CCL tennis pro Dennis 
“Denny” Hershberger. Ask what else makes him go and you 
get an answer worthy of a high school yearbook.
“My family is central to my career. My wife of 35 years, 
Susan, has been my constant supporter, and our children, Anna, 28, 
and Sam, 24, grew up on the courts. Anna (Gelb) now coaches JV girls 
alongside me at Southwest, bringing our tennis journey full circle.” 
Denny says he didn’t start playing tennis until he was 12. His 
family belonged to the former Knolls Country Club, and he still 
remembers coming off the golf course one day, wandering over to 
the tennis courts, and deciding to give tennis a try. “I didn’t know the 
rules, but it looked fun. That curiosity fueled a lifelong connection to 
the sport.” 
It’s a connection, some of us at CCL may not know, to tennis 
players throughout the metro area.
“I’ve been coaching tennis in Lincoln since the late 1980s,” he 
says, “and am currently in my 34th year of coaching high school 
tennis. I’ve coached both the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams at Lincoln 
Southwest High School since 2002.” Backstory: after spending 10 
years at Lincoln High School, this pro moved to Southwest when it 
first opened for the opportunity to help build a brand-new tennis 
program. “I’m very thankful and remain deeply grateful for the trust 
that was placed in me.
“One of the best compliments I hear from other coaches is that 
no matter the talent level, they know our players will be coached to 
be prepared and ready to compete. I tell my players often that years 
from now they won’t remember many individual matches, but they 
will remember the friendships they made and the character they 
showed on and off the court as members of our team.”
Teacher teach. In addition to coaching, Denny teaches Economics 
and Government & Politics at Southwest. Coaching high school 
athletes and being part of their growth, he shares, are the most 
rewarding parts of his career. He does not mention that he received 
the 2025 NSAA Champions for Coaches Award for Girls Tennis at 
Southwest. 
Denny catches up to CCL in the summer, coaching current 
players, upcoming players, and athletes from other schools. “When 
Rick was hired to take over the Club’s tennis program, he reached 
out and invited me to join the staff. We’ve known each other through 
tennis for many years, and he previously served as an assistant coach 
at Southwest. Our teaching philosophies align closely, whether we’re 
working with younger players, high school athletes or adults.
“I’ve met incredible people through CCL and greatly value and 
enjoy the opportunity to coach CCL families with Rick and Camilla 
throughout the summer. It’s also rewarding to work alongside former 
players I’ve coached and watched grow up.”
While we stopped short of asking CCL Pro Hershberger how many 
steps he gets in a day, we did ask how he manages so much mileage 
on and off the tennis courts of Lincoln. “I’ve followed essentially 
the same workout routine for nearly 40 years. I still run three to four 
times a week and do strength training twice a week. My main goal 
is to stay healthy and be the kind of coach who can get out on the 
court, hit with players, and keep up with them as much as possible.”
 “I tell my players often that years 
from now they won’t remember 
many individual matches, 
but they will remember the 
friendships they made and the 
character they showed on and 
off the court as members of 
our team.”
—Dennis “Denny” Hershberger, CCL Tennis Pro
Diet Coke
® 
and a peanut 
butter and 
jelly sandwich
25

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