Woodruff, SC
Inducted December 2014
TOM FOSTER HAS ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS AN OUTSTANDING PLAYER AT THE STATE, SECTIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS AND HAS SERVED AS A VOLUNTEER IN MANY DIFFERENT CAPACITIES. HIS TENNIS TALENT, VERSATILITY AND COMPATIBILITY ARE AUTHENTICATED BY HIS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
HE IS ONE OF THE STATE’S TOP SENIOR PLAYERS, AND IS KNOWN AS A FIERCE COMPETITOR AS WELL AS THE ULTIMATE GENTILMAN ON AND OFF THE COURT. SOME OF HIS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE OUTLINED BELOW:
- RANKED #1 IN SOUTH CAROLINA IN FIVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES….MEN’S SINGLES, MEN’S DOUBLES, MIXED DOUBLES, HUSBAND/WIFE DOUBLES AND FATHER/SON DOUBLES.
- SINCE 2004 HE HAS BEEN RANKED #1 IN THE STATE IN DOUBLES EVERY YEAR AND AMONG THE TOP THREE IN SINGLES SEVEN YEARS.
- IN 2005 HE WON THE SOUTHERN MEN’S 65 HARD COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS, WAS RANKED NATIONALLY AND PLAYED ON THE SOUTHERN INTERSECTIONAL TEAM WHICH WON THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. HE ACHIEVED A #5 NATIONAL RANKING IN DOUBLES AND WAS NAMED THE S. C. ADULT MALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR.
- AFTER MOVING TO THE MEN’S 70’S IN 2010 HE ACHIEVED SINGLES RANKINGS OF #2 IN THE STATE AND #10 IN THE SOUTH WITH DIRECT WINS OVER THREE PLAYERS RANKED ABOVE HIM. HE WAS RANKED #1 IN THE STATE AND #2 IN THE SOUTH AND #15 IN THE NATION IN MEN’S DOUBLES AND #4 IN THE SOUTH AND #10 IN THE NATION IN THE HUSBANK/WIFE 120 COMBINED. HE HAS MAINTAINED A SOUTHERN DOUBLES RANKING OF #4 OR HIGHER SINCE ENTERING THE 70’S DIVISION.
- IN 2012 AND 2013 HE AND HIS WIFE JANE WON BRONZE BALLS (3RD PLACE) AT THE NATIONAL HUSBANK/WIFE 140 COMBINED. JANE AND TOM WERE RANKED #4 IN THE SOUTH AND #6 IN THE NATION IN THE HUSBANK/WIFE 140 COMBINED IN 2012.
- AT THE 2013 SOUTHERN CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS HE MADE THE SEMIFINALS IN SINGLES, FINALS IN DOUBLES AND WON THE MIXED DOUBLES. TOM ENDED THE YEAR RANKED #7 IN THE SOUTH IN SINGLES, #4 IN THE SOUTH IN DOUBLES, #1 IN THE SOUTH IN MIXED DOUBLES AND #5 IN THE NATION IN HUSBAND/WIFE 140 COMBINED.
TOM HAS MADE A NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTIONS WITH EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA SENIOR CUP TEAM, SERVING AS CAPTAIN SINCE 2000. EACH YEAR HE HAS HELPED SELECT AND BUILD THE TEAM TO BEAT IN THE 9-STATE COMPETITION, AND SOUTH CAROLINA HAS CONSISTENTLY FINISHED IN THE TOP THREE EVERY YEAR. HE HAS CAPTAINED THE TEAM TO SENIOR CUP CHAMPIONSHIPS FIVE TIMES SINCE 2008. TOM IS A SUPPORTIVE AND POSITIVE COACH. HE BUILDS PRIDE AND TEAM SPIRIT IN A WAY THAT BLENDS INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS INTO ONE TEAM THAT IS EAGER TO REPRESENT SOUTH CAROLINA WELL….NOT JUST IN HOW THEY PLAY, BUT BY EXEMPLIFYING GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP ON AND OFF THE COURT AS WELL. HE HAS VOLUNTEERED TO SUPPORT SOUTH CAROLINA TENNIS IN A NUMBER OF OTHER WAYS. HE HAS SERVED ON THE RANKING COMMITTEE, AS AN ADVISOR THE PRESIDENT AND A MEMBER OF THE PATRONS FOUNDATION BOARD. EACH YEAR USTA SOUTHERN MAKES A CONTRIBUTION TO A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION IN HONOR OF THE WINNING SENIOR CUP TEAM. TOM HAS DIRECTED ALL CONTRIBUTIONS EARNED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA TEAM GO TO SUPPORT THE SOUTH CAROLINA TENNIS PATRONS FOUNDATION AND THE GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS THEY PROVIDE TO HELP GROW THE GAME. HE VOLUNTEERS FOR NUMEROUS LOCAL EVENTS, A NUMBER OF WHICH BENEFIT CHARITIES.
