Lange named assistant coach of tennis program

September 5, 2006

For Kel Lange, Lyon College has become part of his extended family.

Lange, owner of the Batesville Athletic Club, has joined the Lyon family to assist with the tennis program this coming year. His wife, Tracy Stewart-Lange, is the women’s head basketball coach. And his top trainer and assistant manager, Paul Allen, is the husband of Institutional Advancement’s administrative assistant, Brandi Allen.

Peggy Roettger is a club member and one of Paul’s clients and several Lyon faculty and staff members work out there too.

Born in Lexington, Ky., Lange graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science, but long before he earned his degree, he became an assistant coach to UK’s women’s tennis teams. He served in that capacity from 1988 until he graduated.

That led to a four-year stint as head women’s tennis coach at Mississippi State University. During this time he married Tracy Stewart, and the new couple moved to College Station, Texas, where Lange became the assistant men’s tennis coach for Texas A&M.

Tracy was born and raised in the Batesville area and the couple began looking for a way to move back here, which led to Lange taking a job as director of tennis for the Racket Club of Knoxville, Tenn., and later the Little Rock Racket Club.

But when Lyon College Athletic Director Terry Garner offered them the perfect gift on the Wednesday before Christmas 2005, they found a way to make Batesville their home.

“Coach Garner offered Tracy the head women’s basketball coaching job, and she jumped on it,” Lange said.

With the dream of living in Batesville now a reality, Lange made another dream come true when he bought the fitness center that he renamed the Batesville Athletic Club.

“We had been wanting to buy this place for five years,” he said. “When we came back here to stay, we did it. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”

When he took over as owner of the facility, the only staff member he retained was Paul Allen.

“He’s the only person I kept because he’s such a great trainer and he handles the staff so well,” Lange said. “He handles all the club’s day-to-day operations and I know I can count on him. He’s got a bright future in this industry.”

Lyon’s head tennis coach John Bennett will continue to oversee all practices and matches, but Lange will handle player development.

“I’m excited about getting back into it,” he said. “There’s no reason why Lyon College shouldn’t have a highly competitive team. We have that opportunity. Coach Bennett has recruited some really good players.”

In addition to experience and love for the game, Lange also offers students an easy way to join a state-of-the-art health club without straining their resources too much.

“Students get a special rate of $32,12 per month with no contracts,” he said. “It’s just month to month, so if they’re short on money, they can skip a month then come right back.”

About 40 Lyon students are current members of the Batesville Athletic Club. The facility offers classes such as kickboxing; a one-hour high intensity boot camp; a one-hour body blast for overall strength conditioning; a cardio theater with treadmills, elliptical machines and bikes, and the main gym room features a rubberized walking track, resistance machines and a full array of free weights.

The club also offers protein and energy drinks, supplements and T-shirts for sale. And parents with young children have childcare services at their disposal every Monday through Friday from 8 – 11 a.m., and from 5 – 8 p.m.

Club members can also request a customized exercise program, which the staff will formulate and lead the client through.

“That’s good for everyone,” Lange said. “We get to know them and introduce them to others in the club. And they get quality training that’s safe and effective.”

The BAC also features a “Ladies Only” gym with the same types of equipment that the main gym offers.

Lange said he looks forward to putting his NCAA Division I coaching experience to work in the NAIA’s TranSouth Conference for Lyon College, and he expects good things for the teams he’ll help to coach.

“It’ll be an exciting time for Lyon College tennis,” he said.