Growth has become a familiar theme around the DeKalb County tennis courts, and head coach Brian Cadle said he believes it starts with one simple idea: Keep a racket in a kid’s hand.
Cadle, who coaches both the DeKalb boys and girls teams, said he has seen the local tennis community steadily expand since taking over the program. What began as a single co-ed team has grown into two competitive squads, supported by a pipeline of young players and a year-round approach to development.
“You’re going to have to find your pipeline of kids,” Cadle said. “And developing a more year round program and getting my, getting my kids playing year round, I’m having these new players develop, these new players are developing and, so I don’t have to really reset or restart the team.”
That philosophy helped guide the Tigers last season, as the boys team finished 13-4 before their run ended in the regional tournament. Cadle said he credited his three seniors for maintaining chemistry and setting the tone for a roster that continues to grow in both size and confidence.
“They just really taught me how to build a program,” Cadle said. “And I watched some very good coaches around me build from scratch and just really build and do the steps necessary to grow a team and a program.”
Cadle has been coaching tennis since 1994, beginning his career at Yorktown High School in Indiana. He brought that experience to DeKalb County High School in 2024, taking over a program that was searching for consistency and numbers. Through active recruiting in the school and community, participation expanded to more than a dozen boys and girls by season’s end.
His reach extends beyond the high school courts. Cadle works with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to promote youth tennis locally and has pushed to establish feeder programs at the middle and elementary school levels. Cadle said he believes early exposure is key to building long-term success.
“You give kids a chance to play year-round,” Cadle said. “We take breaks here and there, but basically keeping kids with a racket in their hand.”
That mindset also led to the creation of a local invitational tournament in Smithville, bringing together players from six different communities to compete on DeKalb’s home courts. Cadle said the event gives his athletes more competitive opportunities while helping grow interest in the sport across the county.
As the Tigers look ahead to February when their season begins, Cadle said he remains focused on more than wins and losses. He sees tennis as a tool for building confidence, discipline, and community pride.