HighFIVE: Randy Ross

For nearly 50 years, Randy Ross has been building a legacy of coaching excellence in Colorado

In May 1976, a kid from Indiana moved to Colorado bringing with him a few years of tennis teaching experience and a recent degree in Business Management from Indiana State University. Almost 50 years later, that kid is one of the most recognizable and respected names in tennis in the Denver area and the owner of the Randy Ross Tennis Center (RRTC) which opened in Englewood in 2020.

Randy’s interest in tennis began in his native Terre Haute, Indiana. His dad was a professor at Indiana State University, and when Randy was 10, he and his dad both learned to play tennis through a summer program run by the University. Randy was hooked and continued on to a junior career which included playing regional tournaments, taking 4^th in state his senior year at Terre Haute North High School and playing at Indiana State University.

Randy first taught tennis through the City of Terre Haute Parks Department when he was in high school. “I knew I wasn’t going to be able to stay in tennis as a player, so this became my path to stay involved,” says Randy. He continued to teach throughout college, and ultimately took on the administrative role of overseeing three locations, which Randy says, “opened my eyes to the business side of tennis”.

Upon moving to Colorado, Randy immediately started teaching tennis and did so at various clubs for more than 35 years. In April 2012, Randy decided to venture out on his own and started the RRTC, operating out of the tennis courts at the Inverness Hotel. Randy credits the generosity of numerous tennis professionals in the Colorado community who allowed him to use indoor courts at various facilities during the winter so that he could run his programs year-round.

“The Denver tennis market has always been underserved for indoor tennis courts so the decision to build a facility was pretty easy. Making it happen was hard. But I knew that I wanted to be my own boss, so I decided to build a club.” 

Now, 10 years after Randy first envisioned his dream, the RRTC is a membership-based facility with six indoor courts which hosts a variety of drills, leagues, lessons, club mixers and tournaments for all levels of adults and juniors. “Our membership is now large enough that it is really feeling like a club and not just a facility,” says Randy.

That feeling of giving back and being part of a community is important to Randy who says his high school coach was a great guy and good teacher but not a tennis person, which is why he chose to also coach high school tennis. He was hired as the boys’ and girls’ varsity coach when Chatfield High School opened. Six years later, he took over as varsity coach at Cherry Creek High School. In 1996, Randy was named the varsity coach at Kent Denver School where he stayed for 26 years. In that time, Randy got to coach both of his sons, Cory and Casey, while also winning 10 state championships.

Jason Colter, USTA Colorado Tournament Operations Director, worked with Randy for many years when Randy was a coach for Team Colorado and sums up the feelings of many when he says, “Randy’s contributions to tennis in Colorado are unrivalled. He is a highly respected coach, teaching pro and tournament director. The positive impact he has had with current and past players is a testament to his passion for the sport, but more important are the lasting relationships he has established with those people who have been lucky enough to call him a coach and a friend.” 

It is for reasons such as these that Randy was the 2016 recipient of the USTA Colorado Bud Robineau Award presented for outstanding service to the tennis community.

While Randy has many great tennis memories, his favorite ones involved playing in Father-Son doubles tournaments, first with his dad, making it to the semifinals of the Indiana Open, and later with both of his sons, including a couple of national tournaments. “That was the most fun tennis ever. I highly encourage you parents to play with your kids!” says Randy.

“I feel so very fortunate to have been able to be in the tennis business in Denver for all these years,” Randy says. “I've met so many great people and thank them all for their support. And now to have the RRTC and get to see players walk through the door every day is a feeling that is hard to describe.”

To learn more about the RRTC, follow them at:

https://www.facebook.com/RandyRossTennis

https://www.instagram.com/randyrosstennis/

https://www.randyrosstennis.com/

MidFirst Bank is one of the largest privately owned banks and this combination of size and private ownership provides our customers with a special brand of banking. We are a strong supporter of the communities we serve, investing time and money in important educational, charitable and civic organizations. Our volunteerism is powered by our employees from all of the communities in which we live and share with our customers. MidFirst Bank is a proud partner of USTA Colorado.