2026-09-29T23:29:09+00:00 Zend_Feed_Writer https://rattlersremember.stmupublichistory.org/ Rattlers Remember https://rattlersremember.stmupublichistory.org 2019-12-12T18:55:42+00:00 2019-12-16T02:52:47+00:00 https://rattlersremember.stmupublichistory.org/items/show/32 Harold Johnson The beautifully remodeled blue courts of the Rohrbach Stadium Tennis Complex were completed in 2013. The complex, which is home to the St. Mary’s varsity tennis teams, features six resurfaced courts, two brand new courts, covered bleachers, and lights to allow for day and night competitions. The plan for the complex is to bring national exposure to St. Mary’s with events such as the United States Tennis Association tournaments and Intercollegiate Tennis Association regionals. The Rohrbach Stadium is a welcome companion to the state-of-the-art Alumni Athletics and & Convocation Center which was completed in 2001. The stadium courts were named after Brother Ed Rohrbach, who is considered one of the pioneers of the program after he coached the men's tennis team from 1954 through 1975. He also coached St. Mary's first singles champion, Juve Gonzalez, who won the Big State Conference singles title back-to-back years in the mid-1950s. Tennis has a rich tradition at St. Mary’s, with men’s national championships in 1938,1940, and 1953. The men also won a conference title in 1977 and the women’s tennis team broke through with their first title in 2013. The plans for the facility coincide with St. Mary’s University’s mission to engage the community and the complex aims to become a vital part of the West side of San Antonio. The Rohrbach Tennis Complex can host a variety of activities and programs designed to meet the interests and needs of the public. These activities include youth sports clinics, athlete autograph-signing opportunities, festivals, concerts, and the collection of food items at the facilities to help people in the community. One of the long-term members of the community and avid tennis aficionado and player is Brother Albert Kuntemeier or “Brother Al” as many know him in the community. In our interviews, his faith and passion for tennis radiated brilliantly. He says that athletic talent is a gift from God and using those God given gifts honor God. His personal mission statement is to “Pray and serve the community of St. Mary’s University.” To that end, he is constantly praying for the success and health of the St. Mary’s sports teams. At 89 years old, he manages to play tennis three days a week to honor God who enables him to still be so physically active. He honors God with every swing of his bracket and that love touches all those he interacts with. Faith and sports go hand in hand at St. Mary’s University. Another tennis lover, Heather Petersen embodied those ideals by volunteering for a service-learning program called Coach for College. Not only is she a wonderful tennis player but following the example set by Brother Al, she extended her prayer and service across the ocean, beyond the St. Mary’s campus to the larger community of faith in Vietnam. Read more of her incredible story here. The St. Mary's tennis teams have risen to national prominence over the past decade. At the same time, due to normal wear and tear, the tennis courts on campus have deteriorated, and the Rattlers men's and women's teams have had to find another practice and match court, capping their potential growth on the national scene. Help St. Mary's remedy this through the, Bring Tennis Home program which will assist in refurbishing the courts on campus. Let’s honor the players of the past and support the athletes of today. Check out the facilities for a match or hit a few balls with a friend. Perhaps you will catch Brother Al in action while you play. For more (including 3 images and 2 sound clips), view the original article. 2019-12-09T19:27:05+00:00 2019-12-15T17:56:56+00:00 https://rattlersremember.stmupublichistory.org/items/show/28 Adam Nerio In October 2019, Brother Al celebrated his 89th birthday. He took his first vows as a Marianist on August 15th, 1948, at age 17, and has served 72 years in this religious profession. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Brother Al has served his community in a variety of places, such as Chicago, Oklahoma City, and Fort Worth. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Education (University of Dayton), Masters in Business Administration (Marquette University), and Masters of Arts in Counseling (University of Notre Dame). Throughout his life, Brother Al has served as a teacher and counselor at the high school level, while coaching various sports including soccer, tennis, track, and football. In addition, Brother Al has experience as an athletic director and has served on the hiring committee at St. Mary’s for an athletic director, which is currently filled by Robert Coleman. Now retired, Brother Al or Brother “GQ” as his fellow Marianist Brothers call him due to his trademark stylish apparel, continues to live and maintain an overall healthy lifestyle. First, Brother Al will tell you his healthy lifestyle starts with his genes, inherited from his mother. He also maintains a healthy diet by limiting his salt and sugar intake. Brother Al is also an avid tennis player, and playing 3-4 times a week on campus helps keep him in shape. Due to his love and experience of tennis, Brother Al currently serves as chaplain for both the men and women’s tennis teams at St. Mary’s. He explains, “Tennis makes me happy and when I’m happy, it makes praying easy and it makes work easy and it makes service easy.” His inspiration for service is St. Julian of Norwich, who once said, “the greatest honor we can give to God is to live joyfully in the knowledge of His love for us.” Brother Al has used these words to help him be a service to others joyfully and selflessly. In addition, the Marianist Home has a fairly new fitness room that was built on the second floor for the Brothers to use for exercise. In addition, this exercise room makes things a lot more convenient for the Brothers who before being built, had to walk or find transportation for the Alumni Athletics and Convocation Center, which is located across campus from the Marianist Home. As a result, Brother Al takes full advantage of the exercise room, working with his trainer Mike 2-3 times a week. In each session, Brother Al uses the bike for cardio and various dumbbell and elastic band exercises for weight training and flexibility. Being a fitness enthusiast myself, I had the pleasure of meeting Mike and watching an exercise session between him and Brother Al. While research shows that regular exercise is one of the best ways to stay healthy, decrease stress and improve cognitive functioning, Brother Al mentioned other benefits: It's a way to make friends, enjoy the outdoors, clear the mind, and even pray. In my first semester of graduate school at St. Mary’s, I was assigned a project for my Documentary and Filmmaking class. For this project, I had to create a single documentary film based on a specific aspect of the history or heritage of the Marianists; working closely with the Marianist Brothers and the Marianist Archives on campus. Studying Public History for graduate school and being new to St. Mary’s, I was unfamiliar with the Marianist charism but knew I wanted to somehow involve sports or health and wellness for my project. The Marianist Archives staff connected me with Brother Al. Today, Brother Al and I have built an unlikely yet, wonderful friendship that I continue to value and cherish. St. Mary’s has been built on Marianist values of leadership and service since it was established in 1852. Brother Al is a prime example of leadership and service. He has not only been a role model for myself, but he is also an inspiration to his friends, family, and fellow brothers. For more (including 6 images and 2 sound clips), view the original article.