Van Der Meer Tennis & Dunlop
by Chris Griffin
For over thirty years, Dennis, his wife Pat and the coaching staff at Van Der Meer Tennis have taught players of all ages and abilities the game of tennis. More importantly, according to Pat, Van Der Meer Tennis has been helping to produce good citizens of the world. It’s their goal to infuse each student with the good nature, positive attitude and open mindedness that became synonymous with Dennis’s name and character.
It’s said that Dennis positively affected the lives of millions of tennis players through his coaching methods, his founding of the Professional Tennis Registry and the countless hours he spent teaching on court. From current Tour players like Allison Riske, to legends like Billie Jean King, to collegiate players, juniors, and countless weekend warriors who’ve attended camps at Van Der Meer Tennis, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who would argue otherwise.
“Dennis was an exceptional educator who liked to keep it simple,” said Pat. “He didn’t want to get too bogged down with playing with a particular style, instead recognizing that there’s a range of correctness where players can still be successful. We stress the same thing with all our players. We want them to have solid fundamentals, but we also assess the physical and mental aspects of each player to give them the most appropriate and effective coaching possible.”
Pat Van Der Meer, an accomplished coach herself who won the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Tennis and Education Merit Award, now runs Van Der Meer Tennis. It offers programming for all levels and ages. It caters to the younger set with its Quickstart programs, recreational players with junior and adult camps, and elite juniors with a full or part-time Academy which partners with area schools for academics. Pro players also come to Van Der Meer for training, and some of its coaches help Tour players as well.
Dunlop is proud to be the Official racquet and ball at Van Der Meer Tennis, and we look forward to seeing the training center carry on the legacy of Dennis for many years to come.