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Lama named PTR College Coach of the Year

Hilton Head Island, SC — Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) presented its annual awards last night during the 2014 PTR International Tennis Symposium. The event, which includes 40-plus on court and classroom presentations for tennis teachers and coaches, a trade show and tournament, is being held February 20-23 on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Sujay Lama, of Denton, Texas, has been named PTR Jim Verdieck College Coach of the Year. A proud PTR Professional for more than 20 years, Lama has been the Head Women’s Tennis Coach for the University of North Texas since 2006. In just four years, he took the team from last to first place, and has led the Mean Green to the greatest seasons in the school’s history. In the 2012-13 season, his team won its third Sun Belt Conference Championship, earning NCAA Tournament bids, and Lama his third Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year honors. He has surpassed well over 200 wins with the team. Before North Texas, Lama was the Women’s Tennis Coach at the University of Illinois, where he took his teams to five NCAA appearances. He also had the honor to work under Andy Brandi as Florida’s Assistant Coach when the team won two NCAA Championships.

Having played college tennis himself, and reaching his personal goals of becoming an All-American and an Academic All-American, Lama combines his experiences as a student athlete, and what he learned under the tutelage of his mentors, Dennis Van der Meer and Coach Jim Verdieck, to impact young lives. Through his passion for coaching and mentoring young people, Lama’s goals now are to make a positive difference in the lives of his students so they can excel on and off the court.

PTR is the largest global organization of tennis teaching professionals with more than 14,600 members in 121 countries. It has the greatest percentage of multicultural and women members of any such organization. PTR is dedicated to educating, certifying and servicing tennis teachers and coaches around the world in order to grow the game.

Photo: PTR President Jorge Andrew, Lama, and PTR CEO Dan Santorum

Posted on February 20, 2014
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