Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend the RMTC farewell party today, but I wanted to send my best wishes to all past, present, and future staff and members of the club. As usual, I will be in Boulder for the summer season in a few weeks.
I was fortunate to have been hired as the first head tennis pro at the Harvest House Sporting Association in the Spring of 1977. Now, 47 years later, we are saying goodbye to the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center. I was hired by the Harvest House hotel owner, Tony Siebert, Hotel General Manager Russ Stark, and Lou Smario, Vice President and General Manager of the Harvest House Sporting Association. A complete tennis facility was planned with 15 tennis courts and we built the first seven courts (Courts 9-15) for the grand opening in 1977. I had played tennis at Boulder High School, college tennis at Division 1 school, Miami (Ohio), and was attending graduate school in Psychology at CU. After my year as the HHSA head pro, I became a member of the HEAD Tennis Advisory Staff, working with Tracy Leonard, a long-time Boulder fixture in the tennis industry. As a HEAD Tennis advisory staff member, I helped design and test many Head tennis racquets and other tennis products. I was fortunate to work alongside tennis greats such as Arthur Ashe, Guillermo Vilas, Dennis Ralston, and Tom Gorman.
My wife, Edie, and I are still fortunate to be living and playing tennis with many friends and players in Boulder, some of whom have been members since my time as the first pro at the club. Tennis has been a huge part of my life and the club has been one of the most enjoyable places I’ve spent on a tennis court throughout the years.
I look forward to the next chapter in the RMTC journey and wish everyone well on the court!
Theo Mandel
