![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/MB-Gunn-Daniela-Hlacikova-Teona-Velkoska-1024x682.jpg\")
Gunn is now the head coach of the women\u2019s tennis team at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), where the community and the game have embraced her and welcomed her. Even there, coach Taylor continued to influence her career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said, \u201cWhen I started my coaching career here, coach Taylor was still mentoring and helping me, giving advice. I was really blessed to have someone kind enough to help me out and do that for me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2021, Gunn led her team to its first regular-season OVC championship, where they were undefeated and finished runner-up in the OVC championship tournament. The team won the 2022 OVC tournament, securing a spot in the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament, SEMO\u2019s first in its history.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was a great feeling to win at the conference tournament. That\u2019s something I\u2019ve been trying to do for seven years. It takes time to build a program, and you need that consistency as a head coach. Being able to settle here helps build a program, get the right players in, and build culture as well,\u201d said Gunn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Coach Taylor taught her more than the sport of tennis; he taught her to give back to her community \u2014 something she\u2019s passing on to her players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She said, \u201cA lot of times when people watch TV, they\u2019re just seeing the competition. There\u2019s a lot more to college athletics than just athletics. We really do try to build character here and create productive citizens. It\u2019s really important that they develop their moral compass and contribute to society, so we do a lot of character-building and community service with our program. Student-athletes bring so much more to the table than just their athletic ability. We really do try to teach that there are more important things in life than athletics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gunn works to influence the lives of her players, pouring back out all she\u2019s been blessed to receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had a great childhood in Shelbyville. I\u2019m thankful for the people that helped me along the way. It\u2019s so neat to look back and trace your path to see how many things had to go right and how many have influenced your life. My parents are a great influence in my life. My dad taught me the value of hard work at a young age, and that\u2019s one of the best lessons you can learn because that gets you through anything,\u201d Gunn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And clearly, It can get you to and through championship seasons and the game of life. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Shelbyville’s Mary Beth Gunn is now the head coach of the women\u2019s tennis team at Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":12383,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11791","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/MB-Gunn-Ksenia-Shikanova-1-1024x683.jpg\")