The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 54, Ed. 1, Wednesday, April 13, 1988 Page: 3 of 6
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Features
Wednesday aprll 13 1983 page 3' t
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Out-of-doors and close to nature
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Cecil Eager survoya the tennis courts where he trains his teams for competition.
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Eager encourages Chris Chlnchiolo freshmen undecided major from Fort
Stockton Calif. after she lost a game.
Cecil Eager is worried about the tree.
"I hope that little tree can moke it" says
the tennis couch who is now in his 13th
year at ACU.
Cecil begins to explain the process of
tree-planting. "They come in with this
machine and dig a huge hole" he says.
"The hole looks as if a pie cutter was used
to scoop out the dirt."
He demonstrates the motions with his
hands and then continues "Then they set
the tree with a huge mound of earth al-
ready attached to it into the hole. It fits
perfectly."
He grins as his eyes widen with fascina-
tion "You begin to notice these things
when your outdoors as much as I am....I
think this Wee's gonna be fine."
Strange that a tennis coach could be so
intrigued by a little tree and a mound of
din but not strange at all if one knows
Cecil. The brown-eyed redhead has logged
more outdoor hours in his 39 years than
most people will in 80 years.
"I love being close to nature the
mountains the lake wherever. I can't
stand to be inside too long" Cecil says. "I
really don't care what I'm doing just as
long as it's outdoors."
That statement goes for interviews too.
Cecil dislikes conducting interviews in his
office. He'd rather be driving in his Blazer
with the windows rolled down and the
breeze blowing by.
Whether he is backpacking canoeing
skiing running playing tennis or just driv-
ing Cecil keeps his outdoor fun chart full.
"I like to play" Cecil says with a smile. "I
feel like I was made to help people have
fun."
Ask any student who's had Cecil as a
teacher or coach and he or she will verify
that self-assessment.
"Cecil keeps you laughing" says Brian
Davis who took health from the tennis
coach his freshman year. "He made so
much of the class fun and that wasn't easy
to do with a bunch of freshmen who would
have rather been somewhere else. Everyone
always wanted Cecil for a health teacher."
Matthias Potli a member of the men's
tennis team is glad he has Cecil too.
"Cecil makes tennis a lot of fun but most
of all he is a nice person" says Matthias.
"I've argued with a lot of coaches but I
don't with Cecil. He care3 about me as a
person and he still likes me if I lose four
matches in a row."
Fortunately losing is not something
Cecil has had to deal with lately. He says
he believes the men's and women's tennis
teams are excellent for the level they com-
pete in. The women have made it to na-
tionals for the last five years and the men
are on their way he says.
Cecil simply enjoys watching his players
compete and he loves coaching the game of
tennis. "I feel it is another thing I was
made to do" he says. "I think God directs
us through genetics and biologically makes
us who we are. I believe I inherited my
desire to be outdoors and to teach people
how to have fun in outdoor activities.
One of Cecil's colleagues is Liz
Rotenberrv. Liz believes the tennis coach
has a genuine ability to know people.
"People are important to Cecil. But more
than that Jesus is important to him" she
says. "Cecil has an ability to get people's
attention through something fun and then
they're ready to listen to him when he
wants to share something more important."
Cecil took an extremely important step
almost two years ago. He was married.
Marrying is a normal event but Cecil was
37 when he put the ring on his wife Judi's
finger. Why did it take him so long?
"Did I date?" Cecil laughs. "I was all-
world at dating."
But Cecil says he never worried about
finding the right woman. "I was 37. 1 was
to the point where I knew there was a pos-
sibility I would never marry" he says.
"But I had a full life as a single and I
never had the dilemma that a lot of singles
do. I never panicked wondering where I
could meet someone."
He continues "I wanted someone who
liked the outdoors. That was a top priori-
ty." He found Judi at a Tennis Foundation
meeting or rather she found him.
"I asked Cecil to go to the Willie Nelson
concert with me" says Cecil's wife Judi.
"He made me laugh and I wanted to get to
know him. When Willie sang 'Redheaded
Stranger' Cecil looked at me and smiled.
He says at that point he knew he'd had it."
The couple now has a 9-month-old baby
girl Chelsea who Judi says is a replica of
her father. "Chelsea has red hair and b
loud" says Judi. "She inherited Cecil's
wildness. When he comes home she
screams and then he screams and they go
twirling around together."
Cecil also has two stepchildren Shane
and Ashley and Judi says "Shane and
Ashley love Cecil. He is so positive with
them. They are all friends. She continues
"In fact I often hear the words 'I'm gonna
go ask Cecil' instead of 'What do you
think Mora?'"
Judi and Cecil too have a special relation-
ship. "Life is definitely never boring" says
Judi. "Cecil is very fun but he is also very
patient and wise. I think he has a gift of
wisdom and common sense. I always trust
what he says."
The tennis coach smiles. "I have finally
found someone I enjoy doing every single
thing with" he says. "I knew God would
lead me to the right woman. I think it just
took me longer to learn how to be a good
husband."
After a time in Cecil's presence one
begins to see that his personality is not that
of a stereotypical rugged outdoorsman but
rather a sensitive out-of-doors man. Cecil
does care about trees. But he also cares
about his students. He cares about his ten-
nis players. He cares about his family. And
he cares about his Lord.
By Bonnie Curtis
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God
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'Because of God
Hove the Lord my God toith all my heart
and all my soul and all my mind.
Everything I have is mine because God has
given it to me.
For If I am good it is because God has
made me good.
If my face is looked upon as being beautiful
by some I know it is God who
created me every detail conceived
and created by Him.
If my toays are looked upon as being pure
and worthy of respect it is because
God has created for me the
opportunities to team as well as the
natural potential.
If I look around and see many material
possessions surrounding me I know it
is because God has generously blessed
meandoutgiven me.
If I am able to accomplish great things in
this world it is because God had a
purpose for creating me and He has
given me the ability to fulfill that
purpose and He is supporting me in
everything I do.
Without my beloved God lam nothing.
In utter gratitude lean do nothing less
than give my life to Him the one from
whom all blessings flow.
Rhonda Mastcn
At age 17 Rhonda Masten already knew
she is on earth "because of God."
While at work one day she started to
write about the love of her life. She was
convicted to express to Him the gratitude
and credit for her very existence.
Rhonda freshman Spanish and interna-
tional studies major from Piano began her
writing career that day with a poem titled
"Because of God."
"It just popped into my head and I
started writing it down" Rhonda says.
Through a turn of events the poem was
published by Teenage Christian magazine
in December 1986.
Rhonda went on to have another work
published "The Key to Withstanding
Peer Pressure" in the November 1987
issue of Gospel Advocate.
Dr. William J. Teague president of the
university heard about Rhonda while he
was visiting his son and his son's family at
Watervicw Church of Christ in Richard
son where
Rhonda also at-
tends. Teague asked
for a copy of
her article and
found it "in-
triguing." He
then sent it to
Gospel Ad-
vocate with an
endorsement at-
tached. "I think all of
us are impress-
ed by people
who are willing
to take a posi-
tion that seems
to be un-
popular" he
says.
Though most
of his contact
with Rhonda has been through her writ-
ing Teague has thought highly of what he
has seen.
"I'm impressed by the quality of her in-
sights and her ability to adequately express
her faith and commitment" he says.
Rhonda has been writing creatively since
she was a child. "It's just something I've
always done" she says. "Writing is an
outlet; if something is on my mind I start
writing."
Teague believes Rhonda's pensive de-
meanor promotes her meaningful works.
"She has a quiet reflective spirit that
helps her to analyze situations and see the
outcome of relationships ... and this is
maturity" he said.
Rhonda is a "people person" say two of
her friends Maurya Martin freshman
general studies major from San Antonio
and Nikki Watts freshman elementary
education major from Garland.
"Everything she does she does with
God in mind" Watts says. "She'll ask
Am I doing this for God?'"
Rhonda's parents are a major influence
in her writing.
"My mother not only encouraged me
but she also took an active role in getting
my writings published" Rhonda says. "I
deeply appreciate her."
Teague notes that Rhonda is a product
of a home that is supportive of her. She
has a home "that is saying it is more im-
portant to be one with God than with
peers" he says.
Rhonda's dedication to the Lord is evi-
dent in her many activities. In her years at
Piano High School she was a member of
the Key Club where she helped handi-
capped children.
She also was involved in a prison
ministry in the Dallas area. She would visit
local prisons and talk with the inmates.
Sometimes the discussions were about
God and sometimes they were just about
whatever was on the inmates' minds.
At ACU Rhonda has found another way
to serve the Lord through the women's
service club JOY; she helps at the Noah
Project shelter baby- sitting the children of
abused wives.
She received the prestigious Trustees
Award from her high school for her writ-
ing. Rhonda also was awarded the Excell-
ing Award from ACU for her outstanding
scholastic achievement.
When she graduates from college
Rhonda Masten
Rhonda wants to become a missio uy in
Africa or Latin America. "I'm interested
in seeing other parts of the world and this
along with my Christian beliefs has
resulted in my desire for missions" she
says.
Over Christmas break Rhonda wrote a
collection of five essays about her most
popular subject her Lord. Who knows
what might pop into her head the next
time she is at work?
By Holly Howard
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The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 54, Ed. 1, Wednesday, April 13, 1988, newspaper, April 13, 1988; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101455/m1/3/: accessed July 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.