Jami Patterson

Instructor
 

If you’re lucky enough to have a tennis court in your backyard, it’s a great way to find you have a talent and a passion for tennis.  When sixth-grader Jami and her family began to take group tennis lessons on the court in their backyard from Coach Cook (Jim Cook, another WVTC instructor), they were all given a good foundation on how to hold the racquet, how to keep score, how to stroke the ball, and how to produce a point.

With this great beginning, Jami’s interest in the sport continued to grow.  And, it didn’t hurt her enthusiasm when she, at 15, beat her 20-year old brother, Greg. 

Many of Jami’s students play on their middle school and high school tennis teams and she considers all of her students standouts.  Jami’s #1 tennis tip is, “Play just as hard in practice as you would play in an important match or tournament.”  What Jami admired most about Ruben (Nino) Gonzales, one of the best players to ever come out of Terre Haute, was his willingness to play practice matches against players that were better than him.  He was not scared of losing.  He knew that if he played great players he would learn something from it and improve, even if he lost.  His practice matches were just as intense as a tournament or college match. 

Jami and her husband, David, a standout junior player and winning adult player, have competed in many mixed doubles tournaments, often finishing in first place.  They have passed on their love of tennis to their son, Matt, who played on his middle school and high school team and now plays recreationally.

Jami’s mom and dad, Max and Jackie Gibson, played mixed doubles together for many years and Jackie still plays at the bubble when she is in town.  Jami's sister, Lisa, is also a great player and plays a lot at the bubble.  Her brother, Greg Gibson, put his racquet down for good after his little sis beat him.  Her sister, Jill, does not play anymore, but was successful in getting her son, Max Levi, to play.  Max plays on Northview High School’s team.