Friday, March 29, 2024
A Tribute to Hank Anderssohn---A True Badminton Hero

(December 6, 1925--May 21, 2005)

By Guy Chadwick

"The greatest hero is the humblest servant"---Luke 9:48

Hank Anderssohn
I first met Hank Anderssohn in the spring of 1977 at the Arizona State University badminton gym. Like hundreds of young players before and since, I immediately received a free badminton lesson on the court and an introduction to true sportsmanship. It is impossible to capture all that Hank has done for badminton and for me personally, but his life of generosity, dedicated service and friendship inspire me to do my best.

[After initially meeting Hank I played three years of badminton at ASU, then moved to play at the Manhattan Beach Badminton Club in Manhattan Beach, California for 8 years. I moved back to Arizona in 1988 and became the coach for the ASU badminton team for 5 years until 1993.]

For about 20 years I have had the privilege to work side by side with Hank in serving the Arizona badminton community. Together we formed the Arizona Badminton Commission and Arizona Badminton Club in 1988. We ran countless clinics, school exhibitions and tournaments together. Hank had already been working to open places to play badminton around the Valley since 1962! We also began to work together toward building our biggest dream---an Arizona badminton-specific facility to call our own.

As important as it is to have times to play badminton at places like high school gyms, YMCA's and community centers, they are always temporary and limited in their playing time. The courts are "second class" with a myriad of lines, ceiling obstructions, lighting problems, etc., and certainly no attraction to the media. It is impossible to develop a good year-round junior program or provide consistent training with the limited court time available. Hank was always looking for new places to play to replace those that closed down because of a change in administrators or some new conflict or another.

Hank was tireless. Upon moving his family to Arizona in 1962 from Tampa, Florida, he immediately joined in to help the Arizona badminton community. High school varsity girls' badminton and the ASU badminton program were just beginning to develop. There were a few recreational places to play. Hank drew on his athletic background and a taste of tournament badminton while in Florida. He had a great love for the sport and everyone who played it, regardless of their ability. Hank knew everybody and everybody knew Hank. He was mild-mannered and he was always there to help and serve---how could you not like him!

An artist and athlete...
Hank exhibited artistic and athletic talent from his earliest years growing up in Chicago. In elementary school and through high school he was awarded art scholarships to the Chicago Art Institute. From little league to professional baseball then on in tournament badminton, Hank had a life-long string of athletic accomplishments. He played varsity basketball at Wright Junior College in Chicago in 1943-1944. He served honorably in the U.S. Marines from 1944-1946, playing baseball with the Marines as well. He then went to the University of Illinois graduating with a B.S. in Commercial Art and played three years on the varsity baseball team, including winning the Big 10 Championships in 1948. During the summers he played semi-pro ball in Iowa winning a league championship in 1949.

From 1951--1953 he played professional minor league baseball in the highly respected Florida International League. He won yet another league championship title there in 1951. But despite his success, Hank modestly summed up his professional baseball career by saying, "It took me three seasons in the pros to figure out I couldn't hit a curve ball."

Also in 1951 he was married to Myra Rowley in West Palm Beach and then had four sons.

Meanwhile his career as a professional commercial artist continually progressed. An opportunity to be the Art Director at an agency in Phoenix brought he and his family to Arizona. His career in commercial and portraiture art would continue throughout the rest of his life, either as a director, partner, or owner of an art agency or studio.

Hank's artistic talent was also given to badminton. He spent countless hours providing incredibly accurate illustrations for a few friends who wrote instructional badminton books. He produced tournament signs, draw sheets, badminton product logos, advertisements, paintings of players in action, and even very clever badminton cartoons. Due to the nature of Hank's work he was seldom recognized for it. One of my most cherished possessions is a large framed cartoon sequence that Hank did for me as commissioned by one of the players I coached at ASU. It humorously depicts an announcer interviewing me as we watch this player's infamous "sportsmanship" on the court.

My first tournament...
In that spring of 1977, Hank and David Levin had been patiently teaching me the basics of the sport a couple days a week for about a month when they thought it would be a good idea for me to enter my very first badminton tournament---a small annual affair at nearby Williams Air Force Base. They entered me into the Novice division. With their encouragement I somehow managed to win the three matches necessary to take home the largest trophy I would ever receive in a sporting event. Having this early success, along with the inspiration in watching the "big boys" fight it out with great skill in the Open division, immediately hooked me on badminton. Hank was always like that---he would find ways to encourage developing players to succeed and then inspire them to reach for more. And, of course, Hank would humble me in the next practice session to show that there was much more work to be done.
40+ years of dedicated service...
If my math is right, over his 43 years in Arizona, Hank opened up facilities about 4,000 times, including court set up and tear down (usually without help), untold travel miles around the Valley, phone calls for badminton club duties and connecting with school and facility administrators, hundreds of tournament directorships, draws, time cards, tournament operations, something like a few thousand clinics, school exhibitions, training sessions and private lessons. I don't know of one time he was ever late to open up a facility, and he was always the last to leave and tear down the nets. He always left the place better than when he arrived, sweeping and cleaning up. I don't think he was ever gone on vacation for more than two or three days between badminton sessions either. All the while he still worked in his ad agency for a living, too.

As our long time mutual friend David Levin recounted, "Unlike most top ranked players, he spent as much or more time with beginners as he did with the experienced players. He was always taking enthusiastic young players under his wing and working with them and helping them become their best. He also had some trick shots he used at school exhibitions to wow the kids. Hank was badminton's ambassador to Arizona introducing thousands to the sport."

When Hank and I ran tournaments together I usually had to talk him into playing, because he was more concerned about the tournament running smoothly for everyone else. I could call up Hank at a moment's notice to help me do a badminton clinic for a high school team, a P.E. class, or school assembly and he would invariably find a way to set aside his work and be there. It will literally take a team of people to do half of what Hank did regularly and without complaint.

As a player...
Hank was flawless in his sportsmanship. He was the epitome of grace in victory or defeat. Of course, he won a lot more than he lost. For decades he seemed ageless. For more than 30 years he was among the top ranked players in the U.S in his age bracket. He would often win the 40s age division in our local tournaments.when he was in his 60s! In his late 60s and early 70s he was the best player in the nation for his age with U.S. Senior National titles to prove it. But you would never know it, because he seldom mentioned his own competition and he would be back in Arizona the next day opening up another facility, playing recreationally with players of all levels, and helping anyone who asked.

In his latter years, Hank would tell me, "Guy, my feet hardly move when I tell them to." Then he would go out and play, and often beat players half his age. He knew where to hit the bird and had the shots---an especially good attacking clear and cut-drop---which kept his opponents running, off balance and always guessing. But, he was actually more concerned that his declining skills would prevent him from training others well enough.

As a coach...
Hank served as a training partner for many of Arizona's top tournament players over the years. He was the only one who could provide good practice for U.S women's national champion Tyna Barinaga when she was in Arizona in the late 1960s. In the early 1970s, Rich Williams, a young junior phenomenon burst on the scene. Hank helped him quickly develop into a U.S. Junior Champion. He helped many adult recreational players become much better players, and also helped a number of young players become Arizona high school champions. He showed no partiality whatsoever in helping all levels of players. He also helped many high school coaches learn drills and coaching techniques, and served as an unofficial assistant coach for many high school teams over the years. He officiated at the high school state championships for decades. He not only taught skills, but he also instructed players in all manner of court etiquette. One of Hank's legacies was hundreds of proteges who exhibited the highest sportsmanship.

Though Hank clearly loved to play and could be a very focused competitor, it did seem that more often than not he played to help the other players on the court get better. I think his artistic personality showed in his game. He loved great rallies and the beauty of the sport. He was very observant and loved to analyze the matches he played in and watched. He never stopped learning! He would frequently ask questions about strategy. He had a library of international badminton videos, which he readily shared with others. He would often engage in conversations about the latest strategies and what worked in particular match-ups.

With all of this talk about Hank's badminton zealousness, I don't want to paint a picture of someone who wasn't well rounded. He thoroughly enjoyed the social as well as competitive aspects of badminton. Outside of badminton he loved to go on brief fishing trips, developed his creative artwork, especially in watercolors and portraiture, and was a real fan of baseball with an insider understanding of the sport. But the badminton community was his second family.

A few unfulfilled dreams...
For several years Hank and I talked about jointly producing an illustrated children's book on "The Awesome Sport of Badminton", but we never found the time to make it a reality.

We did experience a taste of our biggest dream in 1993, when we were able to build badminton-specific courts that were the finest we ever played on---but a year or so later the owner of the large warehouse-type building went bankrupt for unrelated reasons and we were out of a home.

We have continued to pursue a new badminton facility, but one of my great regrets is that we were unable to make this a reality in Hank's lifetime. Now more than ever we are inspired to pursue the "Hank Anderssohn Badminton Hall." Additional memorials to Hank recognizing dedicated service, sportsmanship, and championship play in Arizona will be announced in the coming months.

Some final thoughts...
In the few weeks since Hank has passed on to heaven, while I alternate in mourning and thanksgiving for his life and friendship, I am amazed to recount how much he meant to us all. He was so unassuming---we took him too much for granted. No tournament will be the same without him, and the next few will be difficult with an empty chair next to me. A few of his friends are chipping in to open the facilities Hank has opened for years. Hank began to recruit helpers a few months ago in preparation for this time. Even up to his last days battling cancer he wanted to make sure that everything continued on for the badminton community.

Badminton in Arizona has experienced a burst of growth especially in the last two years. Many new players are continually showing up at facilities Hank has made available. Most will never know the dedication of the one man who made this possible, but Hank will always be our true hero and dear friend!

A few of the many comments sent in from others about Hank...
"Everyone that played or coached badminton in the state was touched by Hank and his presence. He was such a wonderful, positive person and what a promoter of badminton!"

"He was quite an icon in badminton and life."

"He will be missed, but what he has done for badminton will never be forgotten."

"Hank has been so much a part of the lives of so many of us! Thank you Hank for all that you have put into our lives over the years. You will be missed very much."

"Last season I watched Hank put my daughter through her daily workouts---and my, what workouts they were. I would never have guessed that Hank was 79. My daughter learned so much from Hank about badminton, but more importantly, about life. She is so fortunate to have found badminton and to have this final season with Hank."

"Badminton has lost a great man, and we have lost a great friend. I can't envision Arizona badminton without him."

Hank's family...
Henry "Hank" Anders Anderssohn Jr. is survived by his two younger sisters, Alice Swetman of Continental, OH, and Ruth Napier of Scottsdale, AZ, and four sons, Henry "Chip" Anders III of Ventura, CA, Kenneth Ross of Phoenix, Richard Keith of Chino Valley, AZ, and Ted Herbert of Bothell, WA. He has 10 grandchildren and one great grandson. and a thousand badminton friends.

If you would like to send in a story or accolade about Hank's life, feel free to contact Guy.

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Last updated on 06/27/2005 at 09:46AM