Florence, SC
Inducted December 8, 2007
EDWARD LAWRENCE “LARRY” RIZZO HAS BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO TENNIS IN SOUTH CAROLINA FOR NEARLY HALF A CENTURY. SINCE MAKING THE PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE TENNIS TEAM AS A SENIOR, RIZZO HAS MADE IT HIS MISSION TO MASTER THE SPORT OF TENNIS BOTH AS A PLAYER AND COACH.
LARRY HAS EXPECIALLY BEEN DEDICATED TO TEACHING AND DEVELOPING YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH TENNIS. HE HAS ALWAYS WORKED ON THE BASIS OF MAKING TENNIS FUN FOR JUNIORS, AND HAS COACHED DOZENS OF TOP PLAYERS WHO HAVE GONE ON TO SUCCESS ON THE STATE, SECTIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STAGE. HE HAS HAD 13 DIFFERENT PLAYERS WIN SINGLES TITLES AND 24 PLAYERS WIN DOUBLES TITLES AT THE WACHOVIA PALMETTO CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BELTON. RIZZO HAS COACHED PLAYERS WHO HAVE WON 15 HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. SIX OF HIS PLAYERS HAVE WON THE USTA SOUTH CAROLINA MOST IMPROVED JUNIOR PLAYER AWARD. CAPITALIZING ON THEIR JUNIOR SUCCESS, 44 OF HIS PLAYERS HAVE RECEIVED COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AND FIVE ARE TEACHING PROS IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
RIZZO IS NOT ONLY AN OUTSTANDING TEACHER, BUT A GREAT PLAYER AS WELL. HE HAS BEEN RANKED NUMBER ONE IN THE STATE AT LEAST ONCE IN EVERY AGE DIVISION IN BOTH SINGLES AND DOUBLES SINCE HE WAS 25. HE HAS REACHED THE FINALS OF TWO USTA SOUTHERN SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS AND WON THREE USTA SOUTHERN DOUBLES TITLES. HE HAS PLAYED ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA SENIOR CUP TEAM A NUMBER OF YEARS.
HE HAS SERVED AS A USTA SANCTIONED TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR, AND SINCE MOVING TO FLORENCE FROM MYRTLE BEACH HAS BEEN THE DIRECTOR OF THE PRESTIGIOUS PEPSI JUNIOR OPEN, CONSIDERED ONE OF THE STRONGEST TOURNAMENTS IN THE SOUTH.
HE HAS ALSO MADE GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS TO TENNIS OFF THE COURT. HE HAS SERVED ON NUMEROUS STATE COMMITTEES, AND HAS BEEN ON THE USTA SOUTH CAROLINA BOARD OF DIRECTORS SINCE 1998. HE SERVED AS A USTA VICE-PRESIDENT FOR FOUR YEARS, THEN AS STATE PRESIDENT IN 2002-03. HE CONTINUED AS CHAIRMAN OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA TENNIS PATRONS FOUNDATION IN 2004-05, AND IS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE BOARD TODAY. HE HAS ALSO SERVED AS THE COACH OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA JUNIOR WIGHTMAN CUP TEAM. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE USTA SOUTHERN JUNIOR COMPETITION COMMITTEE FOR FOUR YEARS FROM 2001-2004.
LARRY HAS BEEN HONORED WITH NUMEROUS AWARDS, INCLUDING THE USTA SOUTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD, THE SOUTH CAROLINA PRO OF THE YEAR (TWICE) AND THE JUNIOR TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR.
