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For Jimmy Hudson, it was the right time to be interested in tennis.
“When I was six, my dad built a tennis court at our house on Calumet [Street],” said the 2019 Centralia Sports Hall of Fame inductee. “With Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe, there was a tennis boom. It was a good time to grow up around the sport.”
From those beginnings, the 1982 graduate of Centralia High School went on to a stellar career at both CHS and later, at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, and continues playing tennis to this day.
Starting at age 10, he competed in junior tournaments across Southern Illinois and earned a No. 1 ranking for his age group.
“Tennis was a big thing and Southern Illinois was a great place to play,” said Hudson. “You could go to Flora, Olney Fairfield and find a tournament. If you wanted to play tennis, it was easy to find an opportunity.
“In Centralia, it was a family affair. If you had a parent that played, then you played.”
In 1980, Hudson was selected to play for the Southern Illinois Junior Davis Cup team and also qualified for the Western Closed Tournament that year as well.
That was after he began his prep career at Centralia High under coach Craig Freels and as a freshman in 1979, played No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles as the Orphans qualified for state as the district (now sectional) champion.
“Craig was not only a great coach who taught me so much about the game, but a great friend as well,” Hudson said of the legendary CHS coach. “He and I played every Monday in Fairview Heights for years.”
As a sophomore, he was elevated up to No. 1 in singles, and doubles, two slots in the lineup he would hold over the next two years as well.
“We played a lot of great competition,” said Hudson. “The Metro-East schools were always tough and we had good teams.”
As a junior, he returned to state after finishing second in the district finals in singles and the Orphans qualified as a team.
In Hudson’s senior season, he was the district champion in singles in helping Centralia to the team title and at state under the one-class system in place at the time, won his first round match and another in the consolation bracket.
The Orphans rebounded from an 0-4 start to post a 10-8 mark in dual matches that year, and Hudson claimed the district title with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over top-seeded David Solomon of Cairo in the finals.
From there, Hudson went on to Southeast Missouri State.
“I had some other schools I considered,” said Hudson. “But I want to go somewhere I could play right away, and I was lucky to be just two hours away from home.”
At SEMO, Hudson stepped into a program that at the time was NCAA Division II and on the rise.
“We were in the top 20 in Division II and it was very competitive,” he said. “Playing tennis at SEMO was a really good experience for me.”
As a freshman, he broke into the lineup at No. 5 singles and played both Nos. 2 and 3 doubles, and remained in those positions through his sophomore year.
In 1985, he was a Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Conference champion as SEMO claimed MIAA honors for the second time in what was a run of three consecutive titles.
It was a period in which Southeast Missouri was ranked in the top 10 nationally in two of Hudson’s four years there including as high as No. 6. at one point.
As a senior, he was named All-Conference in the MIAA in both singles and doubles, and SEMO played in the prestigious Rolex Collegiate Invitational. In the offseason, Hudson stayed connected to the sport not only by playing but was the director of tennis at Wildwood Camp in Bridgton, Maine, and for two years, was an instructor at the tennis camps hosted by Clemson University.
Following his collegiate career, Hudson continued to play on a constant basis, including the Volvo Team Tennis events, ranking 4.5 on a 5.0 scale.
He still plays today and follows and supports the CHS tennis programs.
“That’s what I tell my son,” Hudson said about continuing his activity with the sport. “Basketball’s great but how many pickup games will you be playing when you’re 35 years old? Tennis is a sport that once it has a hold on you, it’s something you can play the rest of your life.”
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