HighFIVE: Jon Schaff

Welcome to  HighFIVE Friday. Let's get to know Jon Schaff (pictured above with former USTA President Katrina Adams), the Director of Tennis for Colorado Athletic Clubs Inverness and Monaco.

Tennis, both the sport and the industry, has seen many changes in the past decade or so. And, while the everchanging landscapes — ranging from new concepts on how to teach kids tennis to how to incorporate technology into the sport — can be challenging, Jon Schaff, Area Tennis Director for Colorado Athletic Club, has embraced these changes and become a leader in Colorado in propelling tennis forward.

His love of tennis began at 13 when a friend started taking lessons and asked if Jon would practice with him. He went on to have a successful college career and says his greatest playing memory was as a sophomore at University of Wisconsin Whitewater when he won the conference tournament in both singles and doubles, giving his team the conference title. And, while not his greatest tennis memory, Jon’s claim to fame is serving more aces in an exhibition match against former French Open doubles champion Luke Jensen!

After college, Jon turned his passion for tennis into a career. After a brief stint in Colorado from 1998-2000, Jon returned in 2018 after having been at Midtown Athletic Club in Illinois. He currently manages the tennis departments at both CAC Monaco and CAC Inverness, overseeing 20 coaches and all tennis programming.

On the business side of tennis, Jon has been adjusting to the USTA’s new Serve Tennis platform, which is designed to help tennis providers run tournaments and leagues more efficiently. Kristy Harris, Director of Community Development says, “Jon has gotten deeper into the full Serve Tennis platform than any other provider in Colorado, including Zoom meetings with USTA National to help answer all of his questions.”

On-court, Jon has extensive experience working with the Net Generation pathway programs (formerly 10 and Under) and has seen the benefits of how junior tennis has evolved. He says “I would say the biggest change in tennis programming has been the junior development pathway. It’s more of an emphasis on building athletes and playing the game, rather than just stroke production.” 

Jon particularly enjoys the on-court weekly trainings he does with his team of coaches as they prepare for the USTA Adult League and Junior Team Tennis seasons. “I am super excited to see our members compete this year,” he said.

Colorado is lucky to have someone like Jon whose passion for the sport allows him to be open and ready to embrace new programming and pathways. Kristy Harris adds, “Jon is very positive and supportive with all things USTA and provides great feedback. I’m eager to see what he’s able to do.”