Mike Van Zutphen
USPTA Master Professional · USTA & USPTA Hall of Fame
- USPTA Master Professional
- USTA & USPTA Hall of Fame
- 6× Professional of the Year
Trayectoria
Highly respected American tennis coach and USPTA Master Professional, one of the highest certifications in tennis coaching.
Six-time Professional of the Year, two-time Coach of the Year, recipient of the Champions of Tennis Award.
Inducted into both the USTA Hall of Fame and the USPTA Hall of Fame. Named Tester of the Year for the Southwest USPTA for 16 years.
Transcripción del vídeo
“Hi, I'm Mike Van Zutphen. I'm a USPTA Master Professional — six-time Professional of the Year, two-time Coach of the Year winner and recipient of the Champions of Tennis Award for the USPTA, also humanitarian citation from the Governor of the state of Arizona, and two-time President of the division. I'm giving a recommendation for Rafa — this guy has been around for years and years, and I can only say that after knowing him for 44 years he's one of the greatest pros in our industry today. In fact I would say he's number one. The key is that he is honest, forthright, reliable and consistent with his professional players and his profession, and I can only give him the highest recommendation in the entire world — because not only because I trust him but because he's truly one of the best professionals I've ever seen.”
Carta de testimonio
Mike Van Zutphen
USPTA Master Professional
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Mike Van Zutphen. I am a six-time Professional of the Year, a two-time Coach of the Year, a recipient of the Champions of Tennis Award, and I have been inducted into both the USTA Hall of Fame and the USPTA Hall of Fame. I was also named Tester of the Year for the Southwest USPTA for 16 years. My entire life has been dedicated to teaching tennis and contributing to the development of the sport through my work with the USPTA.
I am writing this letter in support of Rafael Font de Mora. I first met Rafa in 1985 at the Van der Meer Tennis Academy in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. After watching him play, I recruited him to play for my college team in Arizona. Rafa became my number one player and helped lead our team to win the regional championships.
From that point forward, he became like a member of my family. He even babysat my children and helped me develop players so that our team could continue winning college championships.
After that period, Rafael went on to work with José Higueras in Palm Springs, California, where he contributed to the development of multiple Grand Slam champions, including Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, and Jim Courier, as well as other tour players.
In 1992, Rafael returned to Arizona and played an important role in developing Meghann Shaughnessy and many outstanding junior players in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
I have the utmost respect and regard for Rafael, not only as a coach but also as a person who has been close to my family. I can honestly say that he is one of the top players and coaches I have ever had the honor of working with and mentoring, and I have followed his career for more than 40 years.
I truly believe that our country has been fortunate to have Rafael Font de Mora contributing to the development of some of the greatest junior and professional players in the history of American tennis. It is an honor for me to write this letter on his behalf. I admire him deeply and respect the dedication, integrity, and commitment he has always shown to our sport.
Throughout the many years I have known him, Rafael has demonstrated the highest level of professionalism and respect toward his players and colleagues in the tennis industry. For these reasons, I consider him not only a remarkable coach, but also a mentor, an ambassador to the sport of tennis, and a lifelong friend.
Sincerely, Mike Van Zutphen