Professional associations have presented honors to both Jorge Capestany and Adam Ford of the staff of the DeWitt Tennis Center at Hope College.
Capestany, who is manager of the center, has been named "Facility Manager of the Year" and presented the "Outstanding Education of the Year" award by the Midwest Division of the United States Professional Tennis Association Inc. (USPTA). Ford, a staff professional with the center, has been named "Member of the Year" for the state of Michigan by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR).
The USPTA "Facility Manager of the Year" recognition is based on supporting professional development of the facility staff, organizational affiliations and special achievements in the tennis facility industry, while the "Outstanding Education of the Year" award is based on accumulating the most education credit among the division's 1,135 members. Capestany received the two awards during an awards ceremony held on Friday, Feb. 4, in conjunction with the division's 2011 conference in Indianapolis, Ind.
The PTR "Member of the Year" award recognizes dedication and diligence in promoting and supporting tennis and PTR. Ford received the recognition during the 2011 PTR International Tennis Symposium, held in Hilton Head, S.C., on Friday-Thursday, Feb. 18-24. He was also crowned the Cardio Tennis Feeding Shootout Champion during the symposium.
Capestany has managed the DeWittTennisCenter since the fall of 2003, and is a 30-year veteran of the tennis industry. This year marks the second time that he has been named "Facility Manager of the Year" by USPTA, which has twice previously named him "Midwest Professional of the Year." Through the years he has also been named the "Michigan Pro of the Year" six times by either USPTA or PTR. He is one of only 10 people worldwide to hold Master Professional distinction with both PTR and USPTA. He has been published in several industry publications and has been a frequent speaker at professional conferences, and serves as a master trainer on the TIA's Cardio Tennis speakers' team and as a USTA Recreational Coaches Workshop national trainer.
Ford has been teaching tennis since he was 18, and is Etcheberry Certified and a PTR Professional. Mentored by Capestany, he played his junior tennis in Western Michigan, where he was twice ranked as the number-one player in his age group and received a USTA Boy's 18's doubles ranking of 14. He was a two-time individual Michigan High School State Champion, and helped his team, Forest Hills Central, capture the 2003 Michigan High School Division 2 Championships. He played Division 1 tennis for Northern Illinois University, receiving the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week Award in his junior season, and an ITA Division I Collegiate Ranking of 33 in doubles.
The six-court DeWitt Tennis Center opened in 1994. PTR named the center its 2010 "National Public Facility of the Year" in February 2010.
The DeWitt Tennis Center features instruction year-round for young players from kindergarten age through the high school level, including through an intensive, nine-week tennis academy held each summer.
Since 2003, the DeWitt Tennis Center has produced more than 24 high school state champions, as well as nine Midwest qualifiers in USTA competition. Across their overall careers, Capestany and his staff have developed more than 180 high school state champions in Michigan as well as three national champions.
The center offers annual memberships for individual community members and families, and its services also include adult tennis clinics and private lessons. The center has also served as a resource for PTR, including serving as a host site for filming and editing of the registry's "Preparation for Certification" DVD.
The DeWitt Tennis Center is located along Fairbanks Avenue near Holland Municipal Stadium. In addition to its six courts, the 40,000-square-foot building features men's and women's locker rooms, and a large waiting reception area. The center is named in honor of the Gary and Joyce DeWitt family.
Founded in 1976, PTR is the largest global organization of tennis-teaching professionals, with more than 14,000 members in 121 countries, and has the greatest percentage of multicultural and women members of any such organization. The registry's mission is to educate, certify and serve tennis teachers and coaches around the world in order to grow the game.
Founded in 1927, USPTA strives to raise the standards of the tennis profession while promoting greater awareness of the sport. USPTA offers 70 professional benefits to its more than 15,000 members worldwide, including certification and professional development. With more than 300 days of educational opportunities throughout the year, USPTA offers the most comprehensive continuing education program in the tennis industry.