Irwin Hoffman was an outstanding tennis professional who called Green Gables Country Club home for many years.
Dana Licht is the mother of Amanda Licht who took lessons from Irwin and a very young cowboy. When Amanda was seven years old, Dana invited Mr. Hoffman to come and watch Amanda take a lesson at an indoor facility. The gentleman was much older by then, walked with difficulty, and had an oxygen tank to assist in breathing.
Amanda was/is highly athletic and the old coach watched intently as she hit beautiful ground strokes and crisp volleys. I remember shaking hands with Irwin after the lesson and there were tears in his eyes. It was clear that he sorely missed his times teaching tennis and the many fine juniors he coached at Green Gables.
Fast forward a dozen years and Amanda became a star in basketball at Kent Denver and played softball for Cherry Creek because Kent does not have a softball team.
I decided to search online to see Amanda in action. Creek was playing Mullen and she had three prodigious home runs and I had to believe Mr. Hoffman was watching from above.
Amanda now plays softball for The University of Wisconsin.
She was named The Steinmak Award Winner in her senior year as Colorado’s top female athlete.
I suspect she’ll return to tennis after college and be one amazing player.
***. The not so young cowboy competed against Freddy Steinmark in the late 60’s when he starred for Wheat Ridge high school in football, basketball and baseball.
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