Sumter, SC
Inducted December 2019
CHARLES HODGIN HAS BEEN AN AVID TENNIS PLAYER, HIGH SCHOOL COACH AND TEACHING PRO IN SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE SETTLING IN SUMTER IN 1957 AS A TEACHER AND COACH. AFTER HE GRADUATED FROM CATAWBA COLLEGE AS A BASKETBALL SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETE AND RECEIVED A MASTER’S DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA. HE EPITOMIZES THE GRASSROOTS CONTRIBUTIONS OF ONE OF THE FOUNDING GENERATION OF SOUTH CAROLINA TOURNAMENT TENNIS. HE DEMONSTRATED HIS LOVE OF TENNIS BY HIS AVID PARTICIPATION IN TOURNAMENTS ALL OVER THE STATE AND THE SOUTH IN THE ERA WHEN ONLY ONE AGE GROUP TENNIS EXISTED. HE COMPETED IN AGE GROUP TENNIS 35’S THROUGH 80’S FOR OVER 44 YEARS. HE WAS ONE OF THE TOP PLAYERS, COMPETED IN MANY EVENTS AND DIVISIONS AND EXHIBITED RESPECT FOR HIS OPPONENTS. HE HAS BEEN THE FACE OF SUMTER TENNIS FOR DECADES.
CHARLIE’S ON-COURT ACHIEVEMENTS AND RANKINGS AS A TOURNAMENT PLAYER INCLUDE:
- HELD TOP STATE AND SECTION SINGLES AND DOUBLES RANKING FROM 1968 THROUGH 2012, INCLUDING SEVERAL YEARS AT NUMBER ONE IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
- RANKED NUMBER TWO IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND NUMBER ELEVEN IN THE SOUTH IN THE 80’S AGE DIVISION IN 2012, HIS LAST YEAR TO RECIEVE A RANKING.
- CONSISTENTLY RANKED IN THE TOP TWENTY IN HIS AGE GROUP IN THE SOUTH, INCLUDING TOP FOUR SINGLES RANKING IN 1981, 1983 AND 1991.
- COMPETED ON SEVERAL SOUTH CAROLINA SENIOR CUP TEAMS.
HE WAS ALSO A TOP COACH AND TEACHER IN SUMTER FOR MANY YEARS:
- SERVED AS THE TENNIS AND BASKETBALL COACH AT EDMUNDS HIGH SCHOOL IN SUMTER FOR TWELVE YEARS; HIS TEAMS NEVER HAD A LOSING SEASON.
- AFTER RETIRING AS A HIGH SCHOOL COACH, HE TAUGHT HIS CHILDREN, CHUCK, MARK AND MARIAN. ALL PLAYED TENNIS AT SUMTER HIGH SCHOOL AND WERE OUTSTANDING PLAYERS. CHUCK WAS RANKED NUMBER EIGHT IN THE NATION IN THE BOYS’ 18U, AND BOTH CHUCK AND MARK ATTAINED TOP RANKINGS IN THE STATE AND SECTION. CHUCK PLAYED COLLEGE TENNIS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. MARK PLAYED AT THE COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON.
- BECAME A PTR CERTIFIED TEACHING PROFESSIONAL IN 1971 AND TAUGHT HUNDREDS OF YOUTH AND ADULTS HOW TO PLAY AND ENJOY TENNIS AS A LIFETIME SPORT.
HODGIN MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON SUMTER AND SOUTH CAROLINA TENNIS AND RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS:
- ASSISTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IRIS FESTIVAL IN SUMTER, WHICH BECAME ONE OF THE MORE POPULAR AGE GROUP TOURNAMENTS IN THE STATE.
- ENCOURAGED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SUMTER TENNIS ASSOCIATION AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 24-COURT PALMETTO TENNIS CENTER WHERE THE PUBLIC PLAYS FOR FREE AND WHERE MANY STATE, SECTION AND COLLEGIATE TOURNAMENTS ARE PLAYED.
- THE CENTER COURT AT THE PALMETTO TENNIS CENTER IS NAMED IN HODGIN’S HONOR.
- THE HODGIN FAMILY WAS NAMED THE 1986 USTA SOUTH CAROLINA FAMILY OF THE YEAR.
CHARLIE HODGIN WAS ALSO KNOWN FOR HIS SPORTSMANSHIP AND CHARACTER. HE RESPECTED THE GAME, HIS OPPONENTS AND DOUBLES PARTNERS. HE WAS THE CONSUMMATE PLAYER AND OPPONENT, SUPERBLY COMPETITIVE AND ALWAYS PREPARED AND WELL-CONDITIONED. WHEN HE WAS NOT ON COURT COMPETING, HE WAS SOCIALIZING WITH OTHER PLAYERS DISCUSSING THEIR MATCHES AND WATCHING OTHER FRIENDS PLAY. HE ALWAYS DRESSED AS A PROFESSIONAL IN THE CLASSIC TRADITIONAL WHITE TENNIS GARB WEARING HIS TRADEMARK CAP WITH NECK COVERING. HE WAS A GREAT PLAYER WITH AN EASY PERSONALITY AND NO EGO, WHICH MADE FOR A NICE COMBINATION ON AND OFF THE TENNIS COURT.
