Andriy Vdovenko is back on the courts at the Prince George Tennis Club, this time as the club's new head coach.
Vdovenko, 23, gave his first lessons last week. He lived briefly in Prince George a few years ago but moved with his family to Vernon and then Victoria. When the PGTC had a coaching vacancy, he applied for and got the job. Vdovenko replaces Chris Li and Patty Van Hage, who shared the head coach responsibilities last season.
"I've always loved tennis," Vdovenko said during a sunny Saturday open house at the club. "I worked at Best Buy in Victoria and I would look outside and I'd be like, 'Why am I working inside?' I love being outside, I love playing tennis, and if I can help a couple people get better at it, then why not? I have a lot to share."
Vdovenko has a serve that tops 100 miles per hour. Don't worry about being intimidated by him though, because that won't happen.
"I'm a nice guy," he said with a grin. "I let everybody get away with a lot of things. Maybe I'm a little too nice, but I think the biggest thing for me as a coach is to let people have fun. If they don't have fun, no matter how good they are getting, they're not likely to come back."
Vdovenko has Level 1 coaching certification and eight years of experience as a player. He was born in Kiev, Ukraine, but spent his formative years in Germany, in a town called Celle. There, a family friend helped him get a membership in a private tennis club and his passion for the game was sparked.
As a player, Vdovenko has competed in tournaments in Vernon, Kelowna and Kamloops and has set his sights on hitting baseline bombs in the Stanley Park Open, perhaps the most prestigious event in the province. He plans to eventually continue his education and would like nothing better than to do that on a tennis scholarship.
In the meantime, the local club is thrilled to have him.
"He had his first week of lessons [last week] and he did really well," said PGTC manager Stephanie Leong. "I was really impressed.
"He's a really good player and he knows how to work with kids," she added. "He's super enthusiastic so he gets the kids motivated and then they want to have fun."
Lessons are available to players aged six to adult. On Junior Fridays (3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the spring, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the summer), players can "drop in" and receive instruction. The cost is $2 for members and $5 for non-members.
Yearly membership in the club ranges from $60 (juniors) to $260 (family with up to four children). Last year, total membership in the club -- located at 2833 Recreation Place -- topped 200.
More information is available on the PGTC website: pgtennis.ca.
2011 Tournament Schedule
May 28-29: Junior and Beginner Icebreaker
June 5-6: High School Championships
June 10-12: City Championships
June 17-19: Junior P.G. Open
July 15-17: P.G. Open
Aug. 19-21: Wood and White Tournament
Sept. 9-11: PGTC Doubles Finals
