R.I.P. Dennis van der Meer
| Last Saturday – on July 27 – Founder of Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), Dennis Van der Meer, passed away . Dennis was more than the founder of our great organization – he was the patriarch of our PTR Family, and he brought tennis coaches together. Dennis was a mentor, friend, educator, and advocate for countless tennis coaches around the world. He embodied the PTR mantra – Making a World of Difference. He dedicated his life to tennis, more importantly to coaching. He was the teacher among teachers, constantly seeking information on biomechanics, methodology, and techniques. As an innovator in the field of coaching education, Dennis believed in sharing knowledge. During the early stages of PTR, Dennis found that only limited educational materials existed for tennis teaching professionals. So, he set about to provide a series of educational manuals by assembling the finest educators to write on their areas of expertise. To compliment the vast collection of written materials, he produced a large number of videos illustrating teaching techniques. Since the mid-1970s, hundreds of thousands worldwide have learned to teach tennis in ways inspired by Dennis Van der Meer. Dennis did more for the advancement of coaching education than any one individual in the history of the game. Although tennis lost an icon, he will live on in generations of tennis coaches and players to come. Known for his uncanny ability to remember the name of everyone he met, his name and his legacy will live on in our hearts. The PTR family sends our deepest condolences to Dennis’ loving and devoted wife, Pat Van der Meer. With heavy hearts, Your PTR Family |
