Tribute to a Hall of Fame Teacher: Dennis Van der Meer

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dennis_red Early in my career as a tennis teaching professional, I was living in Nashville, Tennessee and teaching tennis at the Sequoia Swim & Tennis Club. A friend of mine, Thay Butchee, the Director of Tennis at the Belle Meade Country Club talked me into driving to Sarasota, Florida to participate in a 10 day course conducted by a Dennis Van der Meer. The course would lead to our certification as Professionals in the Professional Tennis Registry, an international organization of tennis teaching professionals.

On our way down to Sarasota from Nashville, we wondered “what could we possibly learn that we did not already know and for 10 days?” We were about to learn how little we knew and open our eyes to a whole new approach to teaching.

From those 10 days on my mind was opened to the possibilities of forever learning. A few years later, I was to move to Hilton Head Island to become the Executive Director of that organization, the Professional Tennis Registry. As the Executive Director of the PTR, I entered a world of helping others. They learned how to become certified PTR Professionals, grow their skills as teachers, inspire those whom they taught and raise the image of professionalism in their industry.

My years with Dennis van der Meer, taught all of us that there was no only one way to do anything. Keep you mind open, use as many resources available to you as possible, join as many organizations and let your imagination lead you to new heights. From these experiences with Dennis, I was able to train and certify many other tennis teaching professionals as a PTR Workshop Leader and National Tester, conduct tennis clinics as a PTR Clinician, and serve as a speaker to 100’s of pros on drills, psychology and tennis skills.

My career path was changed forever by the experiences with Dennis Van der Meer, his attitude of “can do”, never be satisfied with what you have done but be motivated by what is to be done. As a result, I have been able to travel around the world, make incredible friends, written and published articles on tennis, played tournaments and have had a rewarding career doing what I love best – Tennis.

In 1999, I was honored as PTR International Pro of the Year. Later, I was to become one of 8 PTR pros selected to become Master Professional in the PTR and Chairman of the Master Pro Committee. I had previously been inducted as a USPTA Master Professional making me the first Master Professionals in the world in both the PTR and USPTA. I have felt that the awards were but rewards for the attitudes I learned from a mentor and motivator, Dennis Van der Meer.

Today after nearly 40 plus years in tennis I still use much of what I learned from Dennis and his staff those initial 10 days in Sarasota, Florida. I was to learn much more as I worked with Dennis and served as the Executive Director of the Professional Tennis Registry. I was able to see Dennis live tennis every day and watch him make time to play the game he loved every day of his life. I was impressed with all his knowledge that he was always open to continue learning more about the game, the people he taught and how to grow the sport he so passionately loved.

It would be impossible to outline the impact Dennis Van der Meer has had in tennis and the 1000’s he has impacted as a tennis teacher, as a mentor, facilitator, and innovator. The Island of Hilton Head itself owes its growth as a year around destination spot to Dennis. He covered 4 of his tennis courts at his tennis site on DeAllyon Road and spent millions advertising so that people would come to visit Hilton Head Island for a week or weekend with Dennis. Those who came learned much about themselves, how to play the game of tennis and left with a deeper passion for the game..

For someone who lives on an island, he had a world wide impact on the tennis industry. The certifying organization he founded in the late 70’s, the Professional Tennis Registry has certified tennis teaching professionals in over120 foreign counties and has a membership base of over 14,000 tennis teaching professionals around the world. Each year, many of these pros come back to Hilton Head for the PTR International Symposium and International Tennis Championships.

Close to 1,000 pros will meet in the middle of February to share their knowledge, energize their lives and renew friendships. This has happened annually for 30 some years and it closely resembles a family reunion that also invites new members to have a PTR experience. Once you do, you to will come each year to learn and share your tennis experiences with your friends.

We can only wonder about the individual success stories each of these professionals in the PTR has experienced. In addition, think of all the students who came to experience Dennis’ clinics as adults and juniors over the past 40 some years and as a result the people they have touched when they returned home.

Can you possibly imagine anyone in the entire tennis world who has reached so many tennis teaching professionals in their lifetime? And that is before you even begin to count the 100,000’s of players who have attended his weekly tennis camps, clinics and lessons not only at Hilton Head but as he and his staff presented programs to players around the world.

Dennis Van der Meer not only deserves to be in the Tennis Hall of Fame, he is in a special class for all he has done to promote tennis, grow the game with players, coaches and tennis professionals.

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