Janet Disbennett inducted into the 2023 OTCA Hall of Fame
CHILLICOTHE -- Janet Disbennett, of Chillicothe, is a member of the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame class of 2023.
The induction ceremony was held at the Chagrin Valley Athletic Club in Chagrin Falls, on Feb. 26. She has coached high school tennis in Ohio for the past 43 years.
Disbennett was introduced to tennis as a 10-year-old. She has been in love with the game ever since holding #1 singles positions on her middle school and high school teams. She began instructing summer tennis programs during her sophomore year of high school and continued to do so for 14 years.
After high school, Disbennett went on to play tennis at Bowling Green State University for four years and graduating with a degree in health and physical education.
After graduation, Disbennett returned home to Chillicothe where she taught health and physical education at Smith Jr. High (later became a middle school) for the next 30 years, and coached junior high school girl’s tennis. During these years she also coached middle school girls’ volleyball.
In the 70’s, Disbennett started coaching boys varsity tennis and did so for the next seven years. When the girls high school varsity coach retired she took over the girls program and has been coaching in the Chillicothe school district since that time with a record of 451-270. Her coaching record has her ranked in the OTCA Circle of Honor.
Disbennett has coached 15 League championship teams, coached two state championship doubles teams in 2000 and 2005, and has had seven doubles teams qualify and one singles qualifier for the state championships during her career.
For the past 42 years, she has been married to Keith and they have two sons Ryan and Trent. They have six grandsons with their first grand daughter on the way to go with their great-granddaughter.
The Ohio Tennis Coaches Association was founded in 1963, and includes junior high school, high school, and college tennis coaches in the state of Ohio. The organization promotes the game of tennis throughout the state with efforts directed toward the development of excellent players, the establishment of high standards in the game, and the encouragement of as many students as possible to participate in tennis. The OTCA Hall of Fame established in 1971, is the highest honor a tennis coach in the state of Ohio can receive.
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Janet Disbennett inducted into the 2023 OTCA Hall of Fame
