Denny Lennon on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Denny Lennon and have shared our conversation below.

Good morning Denny, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Wake between 4:00am and 4:15am, read the LA Times, take the 6:00am South Bay Hot 8 Yoga class, then swim at the YMCA in Westchester at 7:30am. By 8:30am I meet up with business associate Marlee Rice to plan our day coordinating the AAU Beach Volleyball National program along with any production work for Sports Stories.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Denny Lennon, Denny like the restaurant and Lennon like the Beatle. I am the National Commissioner for AAU Beach Volleyball and the President of Sports Stories, Inc. I proudly serve on the Board of Directors for Building Brilliant Futures and the Westchester/Playa Historical Society. I was born and raised in Venice, California, as one of many Lennon’s, a family that includes the singing Lennon Sisters of TV fame, the band Venice and Hall of Fame Ring Announcers Jimmy Lennon Sr. and Jimmy Lennon, Jr. In the past few months I have escorted AAU Beach Volleyball teams to represent the USA at the U15 ISF Gymnasiade in Serbia, was honored in Zlatibor for the Sports Stories Jerry West Documentary, spoke at the National WW2 Museum in New Orleans, MC’d the induction ceremony for the Hawaii Volleyball Hall of Fame at the Outrigger Canoe Club in Honolulu, directed the AAU Hermosa Beach National Championships in the South Bay, MC’d a Quinceanera at the Alexandria Ballroom in Los Angeles and hosted the Live Auction fundraiser for the Santa Monica Pier in the historic Merry Go Around Building.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
Being a teacher and a coach. I spent 35 years doing many different things, but much of it as a teacher and coach. I have always loved teaching and coaching, but felt that if I were to truly live the life that will be the most impactful, I must pursue the side of me that administrates and produces. Thats where I find myself now, full time, being in the position as National Commissioner of AAU Beach Volleyball and as a producer for Sports Stories. I do, however, see a time that I will return to teaching and coaching. Four months ago, my first grandchild, Pax Anders Lennon, was born. As I look down the road, I hope there will be an opportunity to coach my grandkids and their friends, to teach them the values that can be learned and the fun that can be had through athletics.

Do you remember a time someone truly listened to you?
I do remember a time when someone listened. That is not to say others did not listen. They did, especially my mom. But, in one particular case, it was a person that affected my professional life forever. That someone was Doctor Sister Martha Rolley. I like her title, that is why I spell it out fully. Sr. Martha was my 8th grade teacher and eventually the principal at St. Mark School in Venice (CA) that hired me to be the athletic director, PE teacher and coach for the school. I was only 20, had blown out my leg playing college basketball and returned home to Venice. Sr. Martha was an extraordinary person, and one who could easily have dictated to me how to do the job, especially considering how young I was. Instead, she listened carefully to my plan, which was to change the approach in PE and upgrade our sports teams into a more competitive league. She then guided me through the steps of writing out and implementing the steps towards a successful approach. Those lessons have stayed with me my entire life.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
That good people who do good work live the best lives. This can easily be disproven. A simple search of those who appear to be living the best will produce many people, especially many in high power positions, that are deplorable. That said, I do stand by the idea that doing good makes a person happier.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes, for sure. Giving your best is a skill that can be developed. Once you are able to identify the traits and habits, they can be practiced over and over until giving our best becomes second nature, irrespective of others acknowledgement. For this training, I suggest studying John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Ciena Lennon, Marlee Rice, Djordje Zivolic, Becky Schaeffer, Daniel In

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