Columbia, SC
Inducted 2000
BORN IN CHICOPEE, MASSACHUSETTS, BERNIE STATED OUT AS AN EAGLE SCOUT AND WAS A TOP TENNIS PALYER IN HIGH SCHOOL. HE WAS A CAPTAIN OF THE CATHERDRAL HIGH SCHOOL TEAM AND LED THEM TO SEVERAL STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM 1963 TO 1967. HE ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF MASS. AT LOWELL WHERE HE WAS THE CAPTAIN OF THE TENNIS TEAM. HE EARNED AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE IN 1971 AND WENT INTO THE AIR FORCE. HE PLAYED TENNIS WITH THE USAF TENNIS TEAM FOR 4 YEARS AND LED THEM TO THE INTER-SERVICE CHAMPIONSHIP. HE LEFT THE AIR FORCE IN 1975.
HE BECAME THE HEAD TENNIS PROFESSIONAL AT THE RICHLAND COUNTY TENNIS CENTER IN MAY OF 1978. WHILE THERE, HE ESTABLISHED THE FIST NOVICE TOURNAMENT FOR JUMIOR PLAYERS IN THE STATE AS WELL AS THE FIRST JUNIOR TOURNAMENT CIRCUIT WHERE HE HAS BEEN A TOURNAMENT REGEREE FOR 21 YEARS.
HE COACHED THE SC TEAM IN 1983, 1984, & 1985 AND SERVED AS PLAYER/CAPTAIN OF THE STATE SENIOR CUP TEAM IN 1987 AND WAS HEAD COACH OF THE FIRST USTA TRAINING CENTER IN SC IN 1988. HE BECAME THE 2ND PRESIDENT FOR THE SCPTA IN 1989.
SINCE 1985, HE HAS WON THE SOUTHERN CLOSED 35 DOUBLES, THEN IN 1987 HE WON BOTH THE SOUTHERN CLOSED 35 SINGLES & DOUBLES, AND WON THE MEN’S 40’S IN 1991. HE IS A FIVE TIME SOUTHERN CLOSED SINGELS CHAMPION ABD FIVE TIME SOUTHERN CLOSED DOUBLES CHAMPION. HE HAS WON THE NATIONAL INTERSECTIONAL DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1994 AMD WON THREE STRAIGHT SC CLOSED SINGLES IN 1997, 1998, & 1999.
HE IS ONE OF THE STATE’S MOST AWARDED TENNIS PROFESSIONALS INCLUDING:
-1981 USPTA OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD
-1983 SCTA PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR (1ST RECIPIENT)
-1983 & 1984 USPTA SC PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR
-1987 USPTA SOUTHERN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
-1990 SCTA FACILITY OF THE YEAR
-1993 SCPTA FACILITY OF THE YEAR
-1996 SCTA TOURNAMENT OF THE YEAR
-1998 SCTA-SCPTA JOUN NEWCOMB PRO OF THE YEAR
HE IS KNOWN AS A TOP TEACHER AND HAS COACHED TOP RANKED JUNIOR PLAYERS IN THE STATE FOR THE PAST 23 YEARS. HE NOW LIVES IN COLUMBIA WITH HIS WIFE DIANE AND TWO SONS, PATRICK AND JOSEPH.
