TRIUMPH AND TRAGEDY
5/9/2024 2:25:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Freshman Devin Badenhorst found strength in the Baylor Family
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
More than perhaps anyone else could, Michael Woodson knew all too well the pain that first-semester freshman Devin Badenhorst felt when he got the devastating news last Friday that his dad and sister were killed in a car accident in Pretoria, South Africa.
Baylor's fourth-year head coach, Woodson was a senior tennis player at Valparaiso when he found out that his mother, Maria Woodson Dann, was hit head-on by a drunk driver and killed. To this day, Michael says Nov. 3, 2011 is still "the worst day of my life."
Undoubtedly, May 3, 2024, will be the worst day in young Devin Badenhorst's life.
South African Davis Cup captain John-Laffnie de Jager, Devin's personal coach and godfather back home in Pretoria, called Woodson at 4:30 a.m. CT with the tragic news that Louwrense and Michelle Badenhorst had died, just hours before Baylor was scheduled to face 18th-ranked San Diego in the first round of the NCAA regional at College Station.
"Obviously, hearing the news, it was just a tough day, seeing how emotional everyone else was," Devin said. "My head was all over the place. I think what helped me was that it kind of made me realize that tennis is not everything. All of us have played tennis our whole lives, and it's been a big part of our lives. But it just made me realize that tennis is not everything, that there is so much more to life than just the game."
But tennis was also one of the things that bonded Devin and his dad.
"I've never seen anybody that excited about his kids' tennis and future as Louwrense was," said Baylor associate head coach Izak van der Merwe, a fellow South African. "I think that's the part that maybe hit me the hardest was getting to know Louwrense so well, and then knowing what his and Devin's relationship was like. That's something that really hits home."
Breaking down with de Jager on the phone, an emotional Badenhorst had to follow that up with a difficult call home to talk to his mom, Annie.
As the Baylor players trickled in for breakfast that morning, they got the sobering news about Devin's family, "and it probably hit the other guys more than Devin because he was more in shock than the other guys," Woodson said.
"It was a shock for all of us," said senior captain Tadeas Paroulek, "because I don't think anyone had ever experienced anything like that before. It was very emotional, we all cried. At that point, we didn't think about tennis because we realized that tennis and school are irrelevant in the big picture."
While the initial thought was for Baylor to maybe forfeit the match and head back to Waco, Woodson ultimately left the decision whether to play or not up to Devin.
"All these things were swirling in my head. If we decide we're not going to play, then what about (senior captains Paroulek and Christopher Frantzen), whose careers are going to come to an end?" Woodson said. "And in the grand scheme of things, do we even care about that? I know (they players didn't). They're just going to want to support their brother."
Devin's immediate answer was that he definitely wanted the team to play, but he "wasn't quite sure in that moment if I wanted to play."
"What really helped me to make the decision (to play) is how close I feel the team is to each other and how close I am to the coaches and everyone," said Devin, who was 122nd in the latest ITA rankings and 14-6 for the season. "I know I've only been here for a few months, but I really feel like we are a big family. We are all really close to each other."
As much as he wanted to play for his Baylor "brothers," Devin finally decided to play "because I just thought that's what my dad would have wanted."
Van der Merwe said he had "never experienced any coach or parent that was more supportive of us as a coaching staff at Baylor" than Louwrense Badenhorst.
"Especially this spring, Louwrense would send me messages, send me videos, just talk tennis to me," Izak said. "And he always did it in the humblest way, never insinuating that we need to do better or this and that. Just talking tennis and just talking about Devin's game. He would give me some input, but then he would always end it with, 'Listen, you guys are doing the greatest job with Devin. And I can see it every week when I watch him play.'''
Paroulek said several players were on the court at Texas A&M's Mitchell Tennis Center crying during warm-ups until strength and conditioning coach Cole Durham told the players to "dive into tennis and try to separate things."
"I tried to use it as motivation to fight for Devin," he said.
San Diego coach Ryan Keckley said it was "probably one of the toughest situations you will ever have to handle as a coach."
"You're kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't," Keckley said, "because if (Devin) wants to play, it's almost an impossible ask. And if he doesn't want to play, you lose probably one of the best spots on the team. So, I felt for (Woodson) and I felt for the players, and mostly I felt for Devin. No one should have to deal with grief that young. My heart goes out to him and his family and the community."
Playing at No. 2 doubles with sophomore Zsombor Velcz, Devin helped the Bears force a tiebreaker. But San Diego's Stian Klaassen and Oliver Tarvet clinched the opening point with a 7-4 edge in the breaker.
"It was so emotionally draining for everybody, and (the players) did an awesome job of just rallying around him," Woodson said. "Before the match, that's what we talked about: 'He's going to remember these next five hours for the rest of his life like it was 10 minutes ago. And how are you going to define that?'
"And they did that. It wore them out completely, but they were committed to doing that the whole time. But the one that did it the best was Devin. It was really amazing to watch. I know there was a lot going through his head, but he had a sense of clarity about what he was doing that, to me, goes beyond anything other than God at work in his life."
After a four-hour weather delay following doubles, Paroulek got the Bears on the board with a 7-6, 6-3 win over the Torreros' Iiro Vasa at No. 2 singles. But San Diego (23-3) went up 3-1 with straight-set wins at Nos. 5 and 4 over sophomore Luc Koenig and freshman Louis Bowden, respectively.
Devin lost a second-set tiebreaker at No. 3 to Lambert Ruland, evening their match at a set apiece, but bounced back and had a match point at 5-3, 40-30 when San Diego clinched the team match, 4-1, with a win at No. 1 singles.
"Devin's day was the most impressive performance I've ever seen on a tennis court, probably will never be topped," Woodson said. "That was just amazing what he was able to do, to stay focused, to play so confidently and so free. Throughout the day, ups and downs, things went his way, things didn't go his way. He just stayed the course the whole time."
Keckley, who was on Devin's court, said the Baylor freshman "never lost sight of his competitiveness and what he was there to do."
"He really maintained his composure extremely well, not only given the moment, but more importantly given the situation," Keckley said. "Hat's off to him for putting his team on his back while he was dealing with something that no 18-year-old, 19-year-old should ever have to deal with."
Since returning from the match, Woodson said Devin's teammates have done "an amazing job . . . making sure that they're with him all the time."
"That's the least we can do right now is just be his brothers and try to help him any way we can," Paroulek said.
Devin said the team "was there for me every single second of the day, and they still are today."
"I still have my teammates around me 24/7," said Devin, who returned home to South Africa on Wednesday to attend the funeral. "When I go home, I still have lots of support there. And I know that if I ever need anyone to speak to, everyone is just one call away. I have so much support from the team, so much support from the staff. It's, honestly, a blessing to have these great people around me 24/7.
"I feel like every single person on this team is like family."
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Baylor Family is devastated by the unmeasurable loss Devin's family and community are feeling. Devin is a cherished and loved member of our family and the publication of this story is meant to serve as a small way to support Devin through this tragedy.
Media entities in South Africa are encouraged to use this story, in lieu of communication with the Badenhorsts, in their coverage. We ask that privacy be given to the Badenhorst family as they grieve.
Please communicate directly via Brent Ingram (brent_ingram@baylor.edu; 210.845.8651) with any inquires related to the Badenhorst family at this time.
Friends have set up a gofundme in support of funeral arrangements for the Badenhorst family. Please consider supporting the Badenhorsts through this avenue.
Baylor Bear Insider
More than perhaps anyone else could, Michael Woodson knew all too well the pain that first-semester freshman Devin Badenhorst felt when he got the devastating news last Friday that his dad and sister were killed in a car accident in Pretoria, South Africa.
Baylor's fourth-year head coach, Woodson was a senior tennis player at Valparaiso when he found out that his mother, Maria Woodson Dann, was hit head-on by a drunk driver and killed. To this day, Michael says Nov. 3, 2011 is still "the worst day of my life."
Undoubtedly, May 3, 2024, will be the worst day in young Devin Badenhorst's life.
South African Davis Cup captain John-Laffnie de Jager, Devin's personal coach and godfather back home in Pretoria, called Woodson at 4:30 a.m. CT with the tragic news that Louwrense and Michelle Badenhorst had died, just hours before Baylor was scheduled to face 18th-ranked San Diego in the first round of the NCAA regional at College Station.
"Obviously, hearing the news, it was just a tough day, seeing how emotional everyone else was," Devin said. "My head was all over the place. I think what helped me was that it kind of made me realize that tennis is not everything. All of us have played tennis our whole lives, and it's been a big part of our lives. But it just made me realize that tennis is not everything, that there is so much more to life than just the game."
But tennis was also one of the things that bonded Devin and his dad.
"I've never seen anybody that excited about his kids' tennis and future as Louwrense was," said Baylor associate head coach Izak van der Merwe, a fellow South African. "I think that's the part that maybe hit me the hardest was getting to know Louwrense so well, and then knowing what his and Devin's relationship was like. That's something that really hits home."
Breaking down with de Jager on the phone, an emotional Badenhorst had to follow that up with a difficult call home to talk to his mom, Annie.
As the Baylor players trickled in for breakfast that morning, they got the sobering news about Devin's family, "and it probably hit the other guys more than Devin because he was more in shock than the other guys," Woodson said.
"It was a shock for all of us," said senior captain Tadeas Paroulek, "because I don't think anyone had ever experienced anything like that before. It was very emotional, we all cried. At that point, we didn't think about tennis because we realized that tennis and school are irrelevant in the big picture."
While the initial thought was for Baylor to maybe forfeit the match and head back to Waco, Woodson ultimately left the decision whether to play or not up to Devin.
"All these things were swirling in my head. If we decide we're not going to play, then what about (senior captains Paroulek and Christopher Frantzen), whose careers are going to come to an end?" Woodson said. "And in the grand scheme of things, do we even care about that? I know (they players didn't). They're just going to want to support their brother."
Devin's immediate answer was that he definitely wanted the team to play, but he "wasn't quite sure in that moment if I wanted to play."
"What really helped me to make the decision (to play) is how close I feel the team is to each other and how close I am to the coaches and everyone," said Devin, who was 122nd in the latest ITA rankings and 14-6 for the season. "I know I've only been here for a few months, but I really feel like we are a big family. We are all really close to each other."
As much as he wanted to play for his Baylor "brothers," Devin finally decided to play "because I just thought that's what my dad would have wanted."
Van der Merwe said he had "never experienced any coach or parent that was more supportive of us as a coaching staff at Baylor" than Louwrense Badenhorst.
"Especially this spring, Louwrense would send me messages, send me videos, just talk tennis to me," Izak said. "And he always did it in the humblest way, never insinuating that we need to do better or this and that. Just talking tennis and just talking about Devin's game. He would give me some input, but then he would always end it with, 'Listen, you guys are doing the greatest job with Devin. And I can see it every week when I watch him play.'''
Paroulek said several players were on the court at Texas A&M's Mitchell Tennis Center crying during warm-ups until strength and conditioning coach Cole Durham told the players to "dive into tennis and try to separate things."
"I tried to use it as motivation to fight for Devin," he said.
San Diego coach Ryan Keckley said it was "probably one of the toughest situations you will ever have to handle as a coach."
"You're kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't," Keckley said, "because if (Devin) wants to play, it's almost an impossible ask. And if he doesn't want to play, you lose probably one of the best spots on the team. So, I felt for (Woodson) and I felt for the players, and mostly I felt for Devin. No one should have to deal with grief that young. My heart goes out to him and his family and the community."
Playing at No. 2 doubles with sophomore Zsombor Velcz, Devin helped the Bears force a tiebreaker. But San Diego's Stian Klaassen and Oliver Tarvet clinched the opening point with a 7-4 edge in the breaker. "It was so emotionally draining for everybody, and (the players) did an awesome job of just rallying around him," Woodson said. "Before the match, that's what we talked about: 'He's going to remember these next five hours for the rest of his life like it was 10 minutes ago. And how are you going to define that?'
"And they did that. It wore them out completely, but they were committed to doing that the whole time. But the one that did it the best was Devin. It was really amazing to watch. I know there was a lot going through his head, but he had a sense of clarity about what he was doing that, to me, goes beyond anything other than God at work in his life."
After a four-hour weather delay following doubles, Paroulek got the Bears on the board with a 7-6, 6-3 win over the Torreros' Iiro Vasa at No. 2 singles. But San Diego (23-3) went up 3-1 with straight-set wins at Nos. 5 and 4 over sophomore Luc Koenig and freshman Louis Bowden, respectively.
Devin lost a second-set tiebreaker at No. 3 to Lambert Ruland, evening their match at a set apiece, but bounced back and had a match point at 5-3, 40-30 when San Diego clinched the team match, 4-1, with a win at No. 1 singles.
"Devin's day was the most impressive performance I've ever seen on a tennis court, probably will never be topped," Woodson said. "That was just amazing what he was able to do, to stay focused, to play so confidently and so free. Throughout the day, ups and downs, things went his way, things didn't go his way. He just stayed the course the whole time."
Keckley, who was on Devin's court, said the Baylor freshman "never lost sight of his competitiveness and what he was there to do."
"He really maintained his composure extremely well, not only given the moment, but more importantly given the situation," Keckley said. "Hat's off to him for putting his team on his back while he was dealing with something that no 18-year-old, 19-year-old should ever have to deal with."
Since returning from the match, Woodson said Devin's teammates have done "an amazing job . . . making sure that they're with him all the time."
"That's the least we can do right now is just be his brothers and try to help him any way we can," Paroulek said.
Devin said the team "was there for me every single second of the day, and they still are today."
"I still have my teammates around me 24/7," said Devin, who returned home to South Africa on Wednesday to attend the funeral. "When I go home, I still have lots of support there. And I know that if I ever need anyone to speak to, everyone is just one call away. I have so much support from the team, so much support from the staff. It's, honestly, a blessing to have these great people around me 24/7.
"I feel like every single person on this team is like family."
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Baylor Family is devastated by the unmeasurable loss Devin's family and community are feeling. Devin is a cherished and loved member of our family and the publication of this story is meant to serve as a small way to support Devin through this tragedy. Media entities in South Africa are encouraged to use this story, in lieu of communication with the Badenhorsts, in their coverage. We ask that privacy be given to the Badenhorst family as they grieve.
Please communicate directly via Brent Ingram (brent_ingram@baylor.edu; 210.845.8651) with any inquires related to the Badenhorst family at this time.
Friends have set up a gofundme in support of funeral arrangements for the Badenhorst family. Please consider supporting the Badenhorsts through this avenue.
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