Courting success
Courting success
By: Jenny Bachman
For the assistant manager, owner of the Pro Shop and director of junior activities at the Racquet Club, a simple 40-hour workweek is out of the question. Jeff Hedberg, the man who wears these many different hats, starts his day at 3:30 a.m.
When he first started at the club 17 years ago, he spent most of the day on the court, probably around 50-plus hours a week, with lessons and drills. “I loved every minute of it,” explained Hedberg. Now, he spends about 30 hours a week on the court. Most lessons are given on the weekend or after 5 p.m. when everyone else gets off work. However, for Hedberg working seven days a week is normal and he truly feels it is the only way to be a successful teaching tennis pro. Hedberg gives private lessons to players that range in age and skill level.
“Skill range is all over the map from the neophyte to the tournament player,” explains Hedberg. Over the years, he has had the privilege of teaching or being involved in teaching many, if not most, of the top juniors in Bakersfield. The Bakersfield Racquet Club has a rich history of developing great tennis players from its large membership. “We have had 150 National Titles come out of the club and it started with Lake Lovelace, Andy Davidson and Alan Hodges, I think the rest of us that have followed have been fortunate to carry on the work they started,” said Hedberg.
Other then being on the court, Hedberg is very busy running the day-to-day business of the club. “It is amazing how many e-mails I get and how many tennis products there are to sell and how many people need donations,” said Hedberg. He returns calls and works on club projects or Kern Community Tennis Association projects with which he is involved.
Nike has sponsored Hedberg for more than 15 years and they have given the club Nike tennis camps. When he opened the Pro Shop, Nike picked his shop over 200 retailers nationwide to be a Nike “concept store,” meaning that a portion of the store is specifically designated to sell Nike merchandise. “Though I had the contact, I explained the history and they were more than willing to jump on board” to promote the club, explained Hedberg. “So I hope someday the Bakersfield Racquet Club can be recognized for the rich history it has produced.”
Hedberg loves the club’s legacy. Founded in 1948, it has fostered many nationally ranked tennis players who grew up on the courts: Jack Lynch, Louise Snow, Sally Moore Huss, Dennis Ralston, Marianne Werdel Witmeyer, Hank Pfister, and numerous junior players, like U.S. Girls’ Super National 16s Champion Danon Beatty, now at Fresno State.
The club has also hosted some of the biggest names in U.S. tennis. “I don’t know if the current Bakersfield community knows the historical significance of the club; Rod Laver, Jack Kramer, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras as well as the Bryan brothers and Sam Querrey and many others that have gone on to professional careers have all played here,” said Hedberg.
As far as the business goes, Hedberg explains that each day is different and new surprises are always around the corner. “Anyone that owns their own business will understand this. So my day consists of putting out fires, from one-alarm to five-alarm.” He credits his incredible staff with helping him keep most issues manageable and knocking out the big problems. “God bless them,” Hedberg said.