Midwest Youth Team Tennis Spotlight: Steve Tier

As a kid, Steve Tier found himself at his nearby elementary school from morning until night. His toughest opponent in tennis? A single wall that would teach him his strokes little by little. Each day, he would take the wooden racquet and white Pancho Gonzales tennis balls he was gifted to face his steady competition. Each day, his appreciation for the sport grew.

Tier realized in his adult years that his hometown of Mt. Vernon, Ohio was not what you would call the tennis hub. The small, rural town of only about 18,000 people was sorely missing out on a sport in which its neighboring communities were thriving. For all of the hours spent against that wall mastering his skills, Tier began to think of ways in which he could provide tennis to the youth.

In 2009, Tier became the assistant coach of the boys’ high school team and started to notice more than ever the lack of competition the town possessed in tennis. His desire to revamp the sport in Mt. Vernon took over as he began to do everything in his power to learn what nearby tennis powerhouses were doing.

Tier learned that to create a love of tennis throughout the community, he would need two things: a junior feeder program which would encourage younger players to continue with the sport and a middle school program which would act as a steppingstone to high school tennis.

Following several trainings with the USTA, Tier started his own Midwest Youth Team Tennis program right in the heart of Mt. Vernon. Tier has watched it grow over the 10 years of operation from just 40 kids the first summer to over 100 now.

Though Tier has made strides in the community to offer lessons and bring more kids to the game, he is still looking to expand his efforts to the adults of the town as well.

“If we want to grow the youth game even more, we have to get the adults involved and create a good culture in the town about tennis,” said Tier.

The largest challenge Tier has seen, not only with the adults but also with the players as well, is changing the idea that tennis is not on the same level as other popular sports. Tier hopes to shift this narrative to allow players of all ages to find themselves in a sport they might not have thought of before.

“This is another sport that you have an option in, it isn’t just something to do to take up your time on a summer morning,” said Tier.

With the help of the local park district, Tier has seen major growth in his program through advertisement and word of mouth, so much so that six city courts were resurfaced along with the addition of four permanent 36-foot courts.

In the 10 years Tier has been operating his program, he has learned many valuable lessons about the tricks of the trade, but he feels that there is still much to do. One of his focuses for years to come is cross-promoting tennis through other sports and planning “fun” days for the community. Tier hopes these efforts will cement the idea that tennis can be a low-cost, fun activity for anyone.

“The big attitude I’ve had with all of the players and coaches is if you leave here today with a smile on your face, then we have been successful.”