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Hilburn builds culture of success at Kennett Tennis
KENNETT, Mo. - For over a decade now, Kennett-Holcomb has dominated Southeast Missouri in tennis.
Records show Kennett’s tennis team has won their district championship every year dating back to 2010. This included multiple runs at the State Championships with the team winning back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022. The team went 42-0 over the course of those two seasons.
Last season, the team faced its first loss in almost three years. They were defeated by Ursuline Academy in the state quarterfinals which spoiled Kennett-Holcombs opportunity to three-peat as State Champions.
Now, behind head coach Janet Hilburn, the team looks to claim the seat on the throne once more as champions.
For Hilburn, their 2024 campaign starts with hard work on and off the court.
“The girls know how I run my program,” Hilburn said. “I emphasize getting those grades, getting to class, and being on time for class because a student athlete has to be very disciplined.”
According to Hilburn, discipline in the classroom leads to discipline on the court. She said they go hand-and-hand.
This is the base of the championship mentality Hilburn instills in her players.
While creating a winning program at the high school, Hilburn has made a mission to teach tennis to the area’s youth as the sport grows more popular in Kennett.
“Everybody knows about tennis,” Hilburn said. “They know my girls and we have a great community that gives back to us and is very supportive of us every year. The courts are always busy in the summer when school is out. Since we have a successful team, the kids want to know more about tennis.”
In the off season, Hilburn will teach summer clinics for the youth in Kennett and surrounding towns.
According to Hilburn, many of her current players have participated in these clinics.
“Most of these girls have been around me for more than just their high school years,” Hilburn said. “So they kind of know how I am and what to expect and they are ready whenever they get to high school. As far as working hard at practice or when it comes to conditioning, they don’t gripe.”
This includes junior Claire Bean.
“I started playing when I was four, out here on the courts with Janet,” Bean said. “I remember my very first lesson with Janet and I really liked this sport so I just kept at it and listened to her. She was the first coach I started out with.”
Bean along with her doubles partner Handley McAtee, a senior this season, have won back-to-back state titles in the doubles tournament. As a team, Bean and McAtee are undefeated in doubles play.
Due to their success, the pairing earned Tennis Players of the Year at the 2023 and 2024 Semoball Awards. McAtee is also returning in her senior year as the Female Athlete of the Year over all of Southeast Missouri.
According to Bean, a lot of their success has been because of her chemistry with McAtee on the court, but also her trust in Hilburn as a coach.
“She only wants the best for us,” Bean said. “She pushes us, she’s tough but I think in order to have a good team like we have now, she has to be tough with us. She is an amazing coach that has created an amazing team. We are lucky to have her.”
With McAtee being the only senior, Hilburn looks to her along with Bean to be examples for the other players on the team.
Along with Bean, Hilburn returns five juniors and six sophomores. With no freshman, the team looks to have experience on their side this season.
“They are good girls,” Hilburn said. “They have bought into my system, they know we’ve been successful for several years and they’re ready to get after it just like I am.”