North Daviess courts renamed in honor of late coach

By Todd Lancaster, Sports Editor

August 18, 2008 09:11 pm

— ELNORA — The name Tony Steele will be more than just a memory for those associated with North Daviess High School tennis in the future.
On Monday, the sun-drenched tennis complex at Cougar Valley officially became Tony Steele Courts with the dedication of a new sign at the entrance to the facility.
Steele, who passed away in December after a long bout with cancer, was the long-time Cougar and Bloomfield coach, who guided both the girls and boys programs to sectional wins, while instilling a love of tennis for anyone he came in contact with.
The dedication was attended by Steele’s family, friends, former players, members of the North Daviess administration and school board, along with those who were touched by Steele and his love for tennis.
North Daviess athletic director Brent Dalrymple, opened the ceremony by reading letters from former players Chad Higgins and Ryan Petty and current player Thomas Nugent, on the influence Steele had on their lives, before the current seniors unveiled the new black and orange sign, commemorating the courts.
Steele’s wife Carol was pleased to see Tony honored in a place that was special to him.
“It is just such an honor to see so many people here. Tony loved tennis,” said Steele. “This was one of the great joys in his life.
“He hated to have to give up girls’ tennis when he got sick. That was one of the first times he sat down and cried. He really wanted to do boys last year and he had to really push himself, but it helped him to be out there. It was something he loved.
“I just can’t thank the school board and school enough for this.”
“This is something that he and his family deserve and is evident by the number of people who showed up to support them and name the courts in his honor,” said Dalrymple. “We were proud to have him as part of our athletic program and what he has done for tennis has been amazing. There is no more deserving person for this. He was the name and the face of North Daviess tennis.”
One of the attendees was recently-retired Loogootee tennis coach Rick Graves, who competed against Steele for most of the 20 years he was at Loogootee.
“His kids always played really hard and he was very dedicated,” said Graves. “He had a real passion for tennis and that carried over to his teams. He will be missed greatly.
“There was always something where you could still have a good laugh with Tony, regardless of the situation.”
One of the people who traveled the farthest was Dave Valentine, a friend whose tennis association goes back almost 35 years.
“I met him on a tennis court in Washington when I was about 22 years-old. I had just moved to Washington and didn’t know anyone. We struck up a conversation and have remained friends the whole time,” said Valentine. “He would always talk about North Daviess tennis. He loved to shoot pool and loved to talk about tennis.”
The Cougars took the courts with their opening match of the season against Eastern Greene. They travel to Wood Memorial tonight and Bloomfield on Thursday.

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