The man should be fishing. Or playing golf. Or tracking his investments. Instead, he volunteers, often for the dirty work.

After all, Bruce Grotenhuis was entitled to retire in relative ease and bask in the glories of his accomplishment back in 2003 when he was inducted in the Hall of Fame. He had coached Howell tennis teams through thick and thin for all three decades. During most of that time period, he served (and still does) on the board of directors.

But he is primarily known for taking over the reins of the association’s Web site from Harold Holcomb years ago and refining it into a true bragging right. Veteran coaches who have labored through the years under what now seems to be antiquated circumstances with regard to communications are amazed at what is available now in comparison to the old days.

Thanks to the efforts of Bruce, a coach can get and print a list of teams which will be in his/her regional. An up-to-date copy of the directory can be obtained for the price of a password. So can current and back issues of the newsletter. Lists of all-state teams and regional coaches of the year are readily available.

On the Web site, you can read articles about past Hall of Famers and present coaches of the year. You can obtain documents needed to apply for membership of our association or, for that matter, for the Hall of Fame. You can get a copy of the MHSAA Coaches Manual or the brief that was filed on our behalf with regard to the Gender Equity Lawsuit. The list goes on.

But it could be easily concluded that administering the Web site is for Bruce nothing more than a retirement diversion, a way to while away the time while turning into a puttering mouse potato. After all, it can be fun to simply manipulate the presentation of communications that are handed to you, especially after you have mastered the fundamentals of Web site design. However, those who have done this job know that it isn’t all that simple. You have to go through a considerable learning curve trial-and-error initiation. Then there is the constant year-after-year additions and updates. The addition of the directory and newsletters to the site is but one example. As it turns out, our www.mhsteca.org is one of five that Bruce manages.

More to the point, Bruce has done far more for the MHSTeCA than pound on a keyboard. For instance, in the place of the delinquent membership chairperson, he has spent the past several clinics behind the membership table. All day long, he passes out membership cards and directories. He takes membership money from those who attend the clinic but didn’t prepay for the two days. He compiles lists and refunds money to those who have inadvertently paid twice. He tallies totals and compares them with Kathy Wood so that everyone gets the right amount of money. And he does all of this while paying for the privilege. That’s because Bruce pays in full to attend the clinic, and then goes there to work.

Then there are the state tournaments. Those coaches – and there are many – who host Saturday tournament or regional tournaments understand how difficult managing a final MHSAA competition can be. You are subjected to hyper coaches and pushy parents, all eager to get their way in their single-minded quest to win a state championship. In the face of considerable pressure – some of it irrational -- managers need all the help they can get.

Enter Bruce Grotenhuis who, against all conventional wisdom, actually volunteers to help. He can be found managing a site or the scorer’s table. Or he can be seen line judging. Whatever it takes. Whatever he can do to help. And he does all of this with the same even-tempered, quiet, competent manner -- qualities needed in managing a state tournament --- that he brings to all of his tasks.

“When he speaks up [at MHSTeCA board meetings}, you listen,” says secretary-treasurer Tiger Teusink. That’s because Bruce prefers to do most of his talking behind the scenes. He is the guy in charge of the sound and lighting in numerous Howell community theatre productions where things have to be right.  He does the same for the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association. Although we hope we have never taken his contributions for granted, it is time to recognize them in tangible and public form: with a Distinguished Service Award.