When I was little, my dad taught me to do flips. He taught hundreds of kids in Lafayette to do flips. Some were so good at flipping that they won world titles in the World Trampoline Championships. I was one of his world champions.
My Dad, Coach Jeff Hennessy, was a pioneer who traveled overseas to develop the graceful and exciting sport of trampolining internationally. He led American athletes to global acclaim from the 1960s to the 1980s, putting Lafayette on the map.
Dad accepted a teaching job at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, now UL, in 1959 on the condition that he could start a trampoline program at the university, something that meant a lot to him as a successful competitive diver. As his program grew, his incentive became his athletes’ success. As a young father on a basic associate professor’s salary, he nevertheless traveled far and wide with his athletes, to make sure they had an opportunity to shine on the world stage.
I am proud to say that success continues today…