HighFIVE: Jamal Heydari

Jamal Heydari seeks to build community through coaching

When Jamal Heydari talks about tennis, he frequently uses the word “community”. And, if you’ve ever been on a tennis court with him — whether playing with or against him, being coached by him, or working beside him — you know that bringing people together in a positive way is exactly what tennis is for Jamal. 

A Denver native, Jamal actually grew up around Chicago and didn’t actually start playing tennis until 8^th grade.

“Being that my dad is from Iran and my mom is from Ecuador, I grew up with soccer and basketball — no tennis,” says Jamal.

He ultimately did find his way to tennis with the foundations of fun and community as he says, “I am self-taught. My brothers and I would walk to the tennis courts at the high school next to our house with racquetball rackets and dead balls we found in the swamp. But we would hit back and forth, have fun and enjoy hanging out together”. 

Jamal spent enough time on those high school courts that he ended up playing four years of varsity doubles for the school, including finishing 16^th one year in the state of Illinois. He went on to play club tennis at Loyola University where he captained the team and scheduled matches for them against NCAA Division 2 teams.

Tennis had become such a part of Jamal’s life that after college, he took a job as a director of junior tennis at a club in Illinois. As fate would have it, Jamal went on a family trip to Hawaii and he met a girl from Denver. He returned to Illinois but knew that his native Colorado — and the girl from his Hawaii vacation — were tugging at him, so when learned about an open Babolat sales rep job in Colorado, he jumped at the chance. That was back in 2010. Jamal has been a staple in the Colorado tennis scene ever since.

The impact that Jamal has had on tennis in the Denver metro area is far reaching. He is currently the Co-Director of Racquet Sports at Denver Racquets Club (formerly Meadow Creek Tennis & Fitness) and has been part of their tennis programs for the past three years. Prior to that, he had been a teaching pro or director at Point Athletic Club, Bear Creek Tennis Club, Broomfield Tennis Club, Apex Tennis Center, Rolling Hills, Ken Caryl Community Center and the South Suburban bubble.

“I’ve been lucky to have so many great opportunities. When I came to Meadow Creek, I met Stanley Roffe and we’ve become two peas in a pod. I am so glad that he was willing to embrace me as his partner in this profession and we are excited about what we can grow as Co-Directors at Denver Racquets Club.” 

Jamal enjoys working with all age groups and abilities and says that “adapting to players’ styles makes me more innovative and I enjoy that challenge”, but he really connects well with junior players and has a strong passion for Junior Team Tennis (JTT). As an active 4.5/5.0 player himself and ranked No. 1 in 4.5 doubles in the Intermountain Section in 2024, Jamal says he “loves league” and truly enjoys seeing kids get to have that league experience. “It’s great to see the kids play with their friends and gain match experience, which helps teach them problem solving strategies. Representing your club teaches sportsmanship, loyalty and respect,” he says. And it builds community.

High school tennis is another area where Jamal’s coaching style thrives. Having previously coached at Mullen High School and Broomfield High School, Jamal will take over the head coaching job at D’Evelyn High School starting with the upcoming girl’s season. One of the tools that Jamal will bring to the team is his use of lyrics.

“My personal therapy is creating freestyle lyrics. Metaphors are used in rapping, and I use those same metaphors on the court to help players visualize the goals we are trying to achieve together,” he says. The team may also get to experience a game that Jamal created called You Gone, which has spread far beyond Colorado!

“It started one day when I was coaching at Mullen, probably in 2014-2015. We were playing World Team Tennis. I asked each team to choose a country and then a chant — to create unity. My team chose Uganda and every time we won, and knocked the other team out, we would scream YOU GONE, DUH! As a coach, I am always trying to think of ways to create positivity and not 'punish' for certain types of shots. So, I reformatted a little so that nobody is over OUT — they are just GONE for a bit. If you miss a shot, YOU GONE, but you get to come back in once a teammate misses. The goal is to touch every ball, even if you miss. It promotes hustle, effort, cardio, teamwork, communication, fancy shots, and FUN! I brought this game to Apex and taught my pros, who then helped spread the game to their groups and the high school teams they coached. Pros who have worked under me have traveled to tournaments with their High Performance kids to California, Florida and Nevada and for warm up, they played YOU GONE with their opponents from across the country. A few years ago, one of my ex-pros sent me a video of YOU GONE being played on the east coast with 10+ kids. He wrote, 'Check it out, Jam. Your game has gone viral!'" 

While Jamal’s creative coaching has helped build community across the country, it is still his own personal community that has brought him his favorite moment in tennis. In 2023, Jamal and his dad made it to the finals of the Father/Son Doubles at the Denver City Open. “My dad, who is a 3.5 singles specialist, and I were winning matches we had no business winning. I was so proud of him, and it was such an honor to be an adult and still be able to play with my dad in Open level matches!” says Jamal.

Stanley Roffe, Jamal’s Co-Director at Denver Racquets Club, sees the benefits of Jamal’s enthusiasm and commitment to helping people grow through tennis every day. “It is a pleasure to call him my colleague and friend. Everyone feels Jamal’s positive vibes, and he makes sure to take care of those around him. He truly makes an impact on people’s lives”.

And that impact can be life changing. “One of my former high school players who is now an adult, took me out to lunch and told me I saved his life. Little did I know that he was considering ending his life until he met me. I didn’t know this industry could reach those depths of life changing and life saving measures. It is an incredible feeling when these moments are palpable. I just hope that everyone I have worked with knows how much THEY have enhanced MY life!” says Jamal.

And remember that girl Jamal met in Hawaii and followed to Denver? They are now married!

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