Hilton Head, SC
Inducted November 7, 1987
THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF VAN DER MEER TENNIS UNIVERSITY, HE IS WELL KNOWN FOR HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN TENNIS EDUCATION. HE DISIGNED AND DEVELOPED A UNIQUE, SYSTEMATIC WAY TO TEACH BASIC TENNIS IN A SOUND BIOMECHANICAL METHOD. HE IS ALSO THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. PROFESSIONAL TENNIS REGISTRY, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION OF TENNIS TEACHING PROFESSIONALS WHO ENDORSE A WORLDWIDE STANDARDIZED TENNIS TEACHING METHOD.
HE IS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES TENNIS ASSOCIATION AND THE UNITED STATES PROFESSIONAL TENNIS ASSOCIATION. HE WAS NAMED ULSTA “OUTSTANDING EDUCATOT” IN 1969 AND USPTA “SOUTHERN PRO OF THE YEAR” IN 1983.
INTERNATIONALLY, HEADS OF STATE IN KUWAIT, SAUDI ARABIA, EGYPT, JAPAN, MEXICO, BRAZIL, FINLAND, AND SPAIN HAVE LAUDED HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO TENNIS EDUCATION FOLLOWING HIS VISITS TO THEIR COUNTRIES. FOLLOWING ONE TEACHING TRIP IN 1975, HE WAS PRESENTED WITH A STATE DEPARTMENT CITATION FOR HIS EFFORTS IN FUTHERING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
PROFESSIONALS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROMINENCE HAVE TAKEN INSTRUCTION FROM VAN DER MEER, INCLUDING BILLIE JEAN KING AND MARGARET COURT.
RECENTLY, HE MADE, IN CO-OPERATION WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA ETV NETWORK, A TEN PART VIDEO INSTRUCTION SERIES FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION. RECENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT INCLUDE AN ARTICLE BY DIVERSION MAGAZINE, AND BEST REPORT CITES VAN DER MEER AS “THE NUMBER ONE TENNIS TEACHER IN THE WORLD.”
HE MADE A MAJOR COMMITMENT TO SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1980 WHEN HE MOVED HIS HEADQUARTERS AND TENNIS UNIVERSITY TO HILTON HEAD ISLAND. HE IMMEDIATELY BECAME INVOVLED WITH SOUTH CAROLINA TENNIS ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES, HOSTING FREE CLINICS AND S.C. COACHES CONFERENCES AT HIS CENTER. HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN THE REBIRTH OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA TENNIS MAGAZINE IN 1984. HE HAS TRAVELED THE STATE GIVING CLINICS AND SPEECHES IN SUPPORT OF SCTA ACTIVITIES. HE PARTICIPATES IN MANY CHARITABLE PROJECTS, THE MOST NOTABLE OF WHICH IS THE “DAY OF THE CHILD” BENEFIT FOR JUVENILLE DIABETES HELD EACH YEAR AT THE VAN DER MEER TENNIS CENTER.
MOST RECENTLY HE HAS WORKED WITH THE SCTA JUNIOR TENNIS COUNCIL TO HOST A “TOP 10 ALLSTAR JUNIOR CAMP” AT HIS TENNIS UNIVERSITY. HE HAS DONATED HIS TIME, FACILITIES AND STAFF FOR THE PROJECT HELD IN MARCH FOR THE TOP JUNIOR PALYERS IN THE STATE.
HE CONTINUES HIS EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF BETTER TENNIS TEACHING TECHNIQUES TODAY. IN OVER 30 YEARS OF TEACHING TENNIS HE HAS APPROPRIATELY BECOME KNOWN AS “THE PRO’S PRO!”
