TI Champions of Tennis Honor Roll

Our January 2016 issue marked the 15th year that we’ve named our Champions of Tennis winners. As we start the process for picking this year’s Champions of Tennis, we’d like to recognize all of those past winners — people, businesses, organizations — that have helped to make a difference in tennis, and in the business of tennis.

As you can see on this list, many of our past Champions of Tennis winners are still at it — still dedicated to making this sport the best it can be, to bringing in new participants, to supplying players with equipment and places to play, and to making tennis businesses grow. We salute our past Champions for their continuing dedication to tennis!

Person of the Year

2015: Mike Woody

2014: Bahram Akradi

2013: Virgil Christian

2012: Susan DiBiase

2011: Pat Freebody

2010: Jon Muir

2009: Eric Babolat

2008: Dave Haggerty

2007: George Napier

2006: Kirk Anderson

2005: Max Brownlee

2004: Arlen Kantarian

2003: Jim Baugh & Kurt Kamperman

2002: Alan Schwartz

Tennis Industry Service Award

2015: David LaSota

Pro/Specialty Retailer of the Year

2015: Indianapolis Racquet Club

2014: Your Serve Tennis

2013: Serious Tennis

2012: Tennis Town

2011: All About Tennis

2010: NYC Racquet Sports

2009: Tennis Express

2008: Tennis & Golf Co.

2007: Michael Lynne’s Tennis Shop

2006: Swetka’s Tennis Shop

2005: Racquet World

2004: Players Choice Tennis

2003: Advantage Yours

2002: Chicago Tennis & Golf

2001: Dale Queen

Private Facility of the Year

2015: Bonita Bay Tennis Center

2014: Army Navy Country Club

2013: Tennisclub of the Low Country at Rose Hill

2012: Life Time Fitness

2011: Western Racquet Club

2010: The Polo Club

2009: Reynolds Plantation

2008: Boar’s Head Sports Club

2007: Meadow Creek Tennis & Fitness

2006: Midtown Tennis Center

2005: Brookhaven Country Club

2004: Indian Creek Racquet Club

2003: New Albany Country Club

2002: Woodfield Country Club

Municipal Facility of the Year

2015: Gates Tennis Center

2014: Indian Wells Tennis Garden

2013: Baseline Tennis Center (U. of Minn.)

2012: Southlake Tennis Center

2011: Roger Scott Tennis Club

2010: Copeland-Cox Tennis Center

2009: Reffkin Tennis Center

2008: Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex

2007: Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis & Education

2006: Cary Tennis Park

2005: John Drew Smith Tennis Center

2004: Lexington County Tennis Complex

2003: Midland Community Tennis Center

2002: Cooper Tennis Complex

2001: George E. Barnes Tennis Center

Builder of the Year

2015: Lower Brothers Co. Inc.

2014: Trans Texas Tennis

2013: Fred Kolkmann Tennis & Sport Surfaces

2012: Baseline Sports Construction

2011: Leslie Coatings Inc.

2010: Pro-Sport Construction

2009: DeRosa Tennis Contractors

2008: Boston Tennis Court Construction

2007: Sportsline Inc.

2006: Courtsmiths

2005: Fast-Dry Companies

2004: Zaino Tennis Court

2003: General Acrylics

2002: Cape & Island Tennis and Track

2001: Welch Tennis Courts

Sales Rep of the Year

2015: Carrie Cimino

2014: Allan Iverson

2013: Richard Mennig

2012: Joe Habenschuss

2011: Lee Sponaugle

2010: Rick Walsh

2009: Tracy Lynch

2008: Jim Haneklau

2007: Hunter Hines

2006: Jim Willwerth

2005: Kay Barney

2004: Dustin Perry

2003: Bob Strimel

2002: Bob Pfaender

2001: Sheri Norris & David Blakeley

Grassroots Champion of the Year

2015: Tim Blenkiron

2014: Ellen Miller

2013: Carla O’Connor

2012: Danice Brown

2011: Brenda Gilmore

2010: Robert Pangrazi

2009: Lisa Stone & Susan Chambers

2008: Sue Jollensten

2007: Dan Vonk

2006: Beverly Bourguet

2005: Shirley Ruane

2004: Gwen & Dan Ramras

2003: Scott Biron

2002: Mark Platt

2001: Donna Owens

Junior Tennis Champion of the Year

2015: Phil Parrish

2014: Jack Newman

2013: Vesa Ponkka

2012: Todd Dissly

2011: Jeff Rothstein

2010: Butch Staples & Leah Friedman

2009: Dan Faber

2008: Chuck Kuhle

2007: Craig Jones

2006: Bwana Chakar Simba

2005: Wayne St. Peter

2004: Emma Hubbs

2003: Phyllis Greene

2002: LaMont Bryant

2001: Ned Eames

Wheelchair Tennis Champion of the Year

2015: Randy Ortwein

2014: Paul Walker

2013: Nick Taylor

2012: Curt & Lynn Bender

2011: Jeremiah Yolkut

2010: Harlon Matthews

2009: Dean Oba

2008: Michael Mercier

2007: Jason Harnett

2006: Bruce Karr

2005: Karin Korb

2004: Julie Jilly

2003: Dan James

2002: Tina Dale

2001: Nancy Olson

Community Tennis Association of the Year

2015: Corpus Christi Tennis Association

2014: InnerCity Tennis Foundation

2013: Dallas Tennis Association

2012: Tri-County CTA

2011: Bucks County Tennis Association

2010: Southern Crescent Tennis Association

2009: Western Wake Tennis Association

2008: Lee County Tennis Association

2007: Grants Pass CTA

2006: Montgomery County Tennis Association

2005: Baltimore Tennis Patrons

2004: Pikes Peak CTA

2003: Milwaukee Tennis & Education Foundation

2002: Macon Tennis Association

2001: Homewood-Flossmoor

Stringer of the Year

2015: Julian Li

2014: David Yamane

2013: Chuck Hakansson

2012: John Gugel

2011: Todd Mobley

2010: Tom Parry

2009: Ron Rocchi

2008: Nate Ferguson

2007: Tim Strawn

2006: Grant Morgan

2005: Bob Patterson

2004: Randy Stephenson

Public Park of the Year

2015: Peter Igo Park

2014: Mercer County Park Tennis Center

2013: BNA Bank Park

2012: Kiest Park

2011: Cadwalader Park

2010: Dwight Davis Tennis Center

2009: Darling Tennis Center

2008: Roswell Park & Rec

2007: Fort Lauderdale Park & Rec

2006: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

2005: Scalzi Park

Mass Merchant/Chain of the Year

2011: PGA Tour Superstores

2008: Sport Chalet

2007: The Sports Authority

2006: PGA Tour Superstores

2005: Golfsmith

2004: City Sports

2003: Sport Chalet

2002: Dick’s Sporting Goods

2001: Galyan’s

High School Coach of the Year

2015: Danny Espinosa

2014: Laurie Martin

2013: Ken Griffith

2012: Terry Valdez

2011: Jim Neal and Jim Solomon

2010: Bill Wagstaff

2009: Rich Johns

2008: Sue Bordainick

2007: Marian DeWane

2006: David Steinbach

Online Retailer of the Year

2005: Tennis Warehouse

Tennis Advocate of the Year

2015: Rex Maynard

2014: Shima and Joe Grover

2013: Robert Walsh

2012: Nancy McGinley

2011: Mike Woody

2010: Robin Jones

2009: Ellen Doll

Park & Recreation Agency of the Year

2014: Washington, D.C. Parks & Recreation

2013: Lexington Co. Rec. & Aging Commission

2012: Reston Association

2011: Tualatin Hills Park & Rec District

Youth Tennis Provider of the Year

2015: David Colby

2014: Simon Gale

Youth Tennis Facility Developer of the Year

2015: Zaino Tennis Courts Inc.

2014: Signature Tennis Inc.

2013: Fast-Dry Courts Inc.

2012: Top-A-Court Tennis

2011: Hinding Tennis

NJTL of the Year

2015: Portland After School Tennis & Education

Adult Tennis Provider of the Year

2015: Sets in the City Southwest

Innovative Tennis Event of the Year

2014: The Tennis Congress

USTA Section of Year

2015: Florida

2014: Intermountain

2013: Eastern

2012: Northern California

2011: Middle States

2010: Southern

2009: Midwest

2008: Pacific Northwest

2007: Florida

2006: Texas

2005: Florida

2004: Pacific Northwest

2003: Southern

2002: Northern

2001: New England

PTR Member of the Year

2015: Mark Kovacs

2014: Nigel Pugh

2013: Robert Carlbo

2012: Roy Barth

2011: Jorge Capestany

2010: Rodney Harmon

2009: Ken DeHart

2008: Jorge Andrew

2007: Luke Jensen

2006: Ajay Pant

2005: Lisa Duncan

USPTA Member of the Year

2015: Jorge Capestany

2014: Randy Mattingley

2013: Avis Murray

2012: David Porter

2011: Feisal Hassan

2010: Ron Woods

2009: Robert Greene Jr.

2008: Tom Sweitzer

2007: Mike Van Zutphen

2006: Brett Hobden

2005: Bob Reed

Send Us Your TI Champions of Tennis Nominations

To nominate for Tennis Industry’s 2016 Champions of Tennis, email info@tennisindustrymag.com, and put “Champions” in the subject line. In the email, include the category, the name of the person or organization you are nominating, contact info (phone and email) for the nominee, and — briefly — some information about the nominee, including a website address if appropriate. All nominations will be kept confidential, but we’d also like your name and contact info, in case we have questions. Deadline for nominations: Sept. 1, 2016.