Chris's tennis career began as a youngster growing up in
the Tennis Bubble environment playing tennis with his parents and taking
advantage of any opportunity to get play experience. Most Bubble old
timers remember a young Chris rushing on court as a last minute substitute for
an adult player who couldn't make it. Chris's extended family of
tennis players include aunt Ann Smith, an excellent WVTC tennis player,
and Uncle John Whitehead, another WVTC instructor.
Chris credits the high caliber of
competition in Terre Haute's summer youth tennis program for steadily improving
his tennis skills. In school he played multiple sports and feels the
variety was instrumental in developing a strong competitive attitude. He
looked forward to the challenge of playing in tournaments.
As a college player at Vincennes
University Chris's team finished 6th in the nation in the NJCAA (National Junior
College Athletic Association) Nationals held in Corpus Christi, Texas.
During the 2003 USTA League Tennis season Chris was a member of the mixed
doubles team who competed at the national level in San Antonio, Texas,
giving Chris a lot of fond memories of this group's highly competitive spirit.
Teaching/coaching successes for Chris include students who have made the
all-state teams in both singles and doubles and have earned athletic
scholarships to play for their universities.
