6150 Augusta Blvd. N
Seminole, FL 33777
727.394.1733
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JUNIOR EXCELLENCE PROGRAM
WELCOME
to the Seminole Lake Tennis
Center where the tennis philosophy and teaching methods of legendary
Australian Davis Cup Coach Harry Hopman, live on. Under Mr. Hopman’s
guidance and training with some of the world’s top junior and professional
players, our directors obtained a unique insight into the habits and
attitudes of champions.
Junior Excellence Program
Our Junior Excellence Program is designed for highly competitive state,
national, and international juniors, who have the desire to take their game
to the highest levels. We are staffed with passionate, demanding, and
enthusiastic coaches who are committed to the development of each player and
utilize a proven teaching methodology that is second to none. Harry Hopman
created what would become the training techniques and practice habits of the
sports finest champions. Our instructors use that same methodology, combined
with today’s improved understanding of sports science to enhance each
student’s ability to compete. Our Directors, who were educated by Mr.
Hopman, advanced to become his senior instructors, and went on to coach many
top ranked players such as Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, Jennifer Capriatti,
Andrea Jaeger, and Vitas Gerulietis. The combination of outstanding
personnel, superior training methods, low student to staff ratios, and an
excellent facility provides you with an unparalleled program value. Come
feel the excitement, energy, and growth in self-confidence that comes from
learning from the sport’s premier instructors and coaches.
Tommy Thompson
Director of Junior Development
A native of North Carolina, Tommy attended and played tennis for Mercyhurst College in Pennsylvania. Tommy began his coaching career under the guidance of Harry Hopman. Tommy advanced quickly and became Mr. Hopman’s premier coach and he personally trained many of the world’s best Junior and Professional players. Tommy was the personal traveling coach for Vitas Gerulietus, Andrea Jaeger, and Andres Gomez. In 1986, Tommy established the Hopman/Saddlebrook International Academy in Wesley Chapel, FL where he and his staff again trained such greats as Sampras, Capriatti, and Courier. Tommy is a technical expert and has the unique ability to coax out the inner dynamics of a player to produce the results he wants while allowing each player to develop their own personal style. Tommy is responsible for developing, teaching, and maintaining our Junior program in the Harry Hopman tradition.
Ray Reppert
Tennis Center Director
A native of Pennsylvania, Ray was a scholar-athlete at the University of Pittsburgh and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in English and Teaching Arts. Ray honed his tennis teaching skills as a senior instructor under Harry Hopman, where he trained superstars such as Monica Seles and Steffi Graf. Ray went on to coach the Yugoslavian Continental Cup and Federation Cup teams. He then spent 8 seasons as head women’s tennis coach at William & Mary, where he was named East Region Coach of the Year three times and guided his teams to five #1 rankings in the East Region. Ray then spent 13 years as head women’s coach at Miami of Ohio University, where he was a 3-time Mid American Conference Coach of the Year, and directed his team to three straight MAC Championships. Ray is a high energy individual who is a superb motivator and a dedicated teacher. As Director of Tennis, Ray has overall responsibilities for our tennis facility.
Tennis Professional Staff
Our high performance tennis professionals are friendly and supportive and share a common passion for tennis as well as a burning desire to shape the stars of the future. Their experience includes leading Division I collegiate tennis teams, successfully playing in international competition, and teaching/coaching top area juniors. Our international staff brings a variety of backgrounds and styles of play, but all teach from the same Hopman playbook.
Program Features
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Individual Instruction in private and group settings
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Intense Physical training during drill sessions
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Tennis-specific speed and strength conditioning
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Emphasis on strategy, tactics, game plans, and counter-strategy
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State, Sectional, National, International travel teams accompanied by a Professional
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General health and nutrition programs
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Study cubicles with WiFi access
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Non-tennis activities include swimming, cook-outs, special events
Mission Statement
Seminole Lake Tennis Center’s stated mission is to instill in our students the passion and dedication required to be the best they can be, both in tennis and in life. We expect each student to be dedicated to the sport and to themselves, in order to reach the highest accomplishments possible. Our own measurement for success is seeing our students play at collegiate and professional levels.