Terry Coblentz - Outstanding Coach

Terry Coblentzis officially retired but she can still be found a few days a week leading students in her walking class at Glendale College. Her office is smaller than the one she occupied for almost three decades as women’s tennis coach and athletic director, but her smile and energy have not diminished over the years.

On the occasion of her induction into the GCC Athletic Hall of Fame as Outstanding Coach in the class of 2013, she is almost uncomfortable with the attention such an honor brings. She prefers instead to talk about those that have influenced her and the great opportunity she has had mentoring so many along the way.

Her trip down memory lane started with roadblocks and stop signs when she was told she could not play the same sports her brothers played because she was a girl, and she has made it her life’s work to make sure women got the same opportunities as men.

She does not consider herself a pioneer. She chose instead to focus on being persistent when her mother stood up for her so that she could join teams at the Sepulveda Recreation Center as she saw no reason why her daughter could not play the same sports the boys played.

Years later she carried the same kind of mindset to her job as the women’s tennis coach at Glendale College when she was hired in 1982, determined to recruit and mold players and create a competitive atmosphere as much as any other team on campus.

The early 1980s was a time of great change at Glendale when women’s sports were starting to grab a foothold on the athletic landscape and Coblentz was right there to remind administrators and other coaches that women should get the same opportunities as men. She took another step forward when she took on the role as women’s athletic director as a way to get on more committees and have a stronger voice not only at the college, but at the state level as well.

“Terry was an outstanding physical educator and tennis coach. She always put her students first and took a personal interest in giving them opportunities for success, whether it be in the classroom or on the court. She provided great leadership and was a great role model and was a major reason our Physical Education/Athletic Department was so well thought of throughout the state,’’ said former GCC Men’s Athletic Director and 2012 HOF inductee Jim Sartoris. “She was a women’s tennis representative to the State Management Council for many years and her participation in so many professional organizations truly shows her passion for her profession. She was a great credit to Glendale College and more importantly, she was a pleasure to work with.’’

Coblentz herself said she never envisioned being at Glendale College for almost 30 years but said that the students and the camaraderie she felt with the coaches made it a great experience for her, “Even as a young coach in the early 1980s, I felt support from the staff and administration and even more so after I became the women’s athletic director,’’ said Coblentz “The climate was changing and we were able to add new teams for women in soccer, softball and golf and you can’t achieve that without cooperation and support and I am very thankful for that.