As of October 18, the Hoover High School tennis courts received a new name to honor our beloved former head coach Ryan Shaffer. Shaffer served as head coach for the boys’ and girls’ teams at Hoover for 21 years, retiring in 2023 with a career record of 1,061 wins and 284 losses — the most wins in Ohio high school tennis history.
The new head coach, Mrs. Kay McHolm, spoke about this dedication.
“Conversation about naming the courts after Coach Shaffer for me began last spring when he announced his retirement. I had contacted the current A.D. [Athletic Director] and asked if that was a possibility to have them named after Coach Shaffer. He said yes, definitely, but it may take a few months to get all of the approvals. When I received a call earlier this fall from the new A.D., and [NCCS] Special Projects Director, I was thrilled to hear that it was time to announce the renaming of the courts,” she said.
Coach Shaffer was on vacation when he received a call informing him that the courts would be named in his honor.
“I was of course surprised and very happy — and honored. I was very honored,” he said.
This honor and lasting legacy will continue to shine throughout the Hoover tennis community. His accomplishments do not just impact the Hoover tennis community, but the tennis community all over Ohio. This is especially prominent when looking at Coach Shaffer’s title as the winningest coach in Ohio history.
“Coach Shaffer is one of the most successful high school coaches in Ohio history. Our school and tennis program have been honored to have him as the head of our program all these years. He took a [tennis] program and turned it into a program of much success over the past 20 years. My hope is that his philosophy of hard work, grit, determination, sportsmanship and dedication will continue on these courts for future generations of tennis players at Hoover,” Coach McHolm said.
He never takes praise without also giving some to his hardworking players.
“I guess professionally and personally, it’s really great to be appreciated for the time and effort that I put into the program over the years, and I’m also very thankful and appreciative of all the players who gave so much of themselves to make our program so consistently successful over the 21 years I was there,” Shaffer said.
All of Coach Shaffer’s players talk extremely highly of him, Retired Hoover head tennis coach Ryan Shaffer gives a speech at the tennis court dedication ceremony on Oct. 18. He is the winningest coach in Ohio high school tennis history and the tennis courts are renamed in his honor. n especially Hoover 2023 alumna Claire Wood, who was the fourth of her siblings to play tennis under Coach Shaffer.
“It’s not just the achievements and the wins that Coach Shaffer contributed to the Hoover tennis program, but it was the lessons that he taught all of us on those courts. One thing I hope people will remember about [him] was that it was more than just teaching the sport of tennis — it was about teaching us to become the best person we could possibly be, whether it was on the court, in the classroom, or just in life in general,” she said. “He constantly focused on attitude, effort, and concentration, and working on these three things every single day ultimately summed up to be what he called “The Process.” This process was prioritized over focusing on wins, which obviously led to much success.”
His focus on aspects of life other than winning is one of the things that stands out the most about his coaching. Although he is the winningest coach in the state, his top priority is life lessons. Coach McHolm reiterated she hopes to carry his teachings with her and her future teams.
“I plan to continue the philosophy he began by working hard to achieve goals both on and off the court,” she said.
She also talks about her plans for the courts
“There are plans of fixing up the courts physically within the next year that involves patching and repainting the courts. Coach Shaffer took good care of the facility and I plan to do the same,” she said.
This goes to show the effort he put in and how it will be carried forward. Wood has also expressed her hopes for his legacy to live on throughout future generations. Again, the emphasis remains on Coach Shaffer’s dedication and the drive to teach his players not only the game of tennis but also the game that is life. Hoover tennis wouldn’t be what it is today without Coach Ryan Shaffer.
“I hope [Coach Shaffer’s] legacy and this renaming sends a message to young athletes that success is not given — it is earned,” she said. “[He] emphasized high standards, consistent hard work and attention to detail over wins. Wins just simply came with it. The renaming of the courts also came from [his] selfless dedication to his team, and that is one thing that all young athletes should remember — that to be a leader, you have to remember that it is not all about yourself, it’s about being a team player and showing up for others,” she said.
