Thacker and OPRC Earn Gold Star Awards

Thacker continues to serve the tennis community, teaching life lessons and building the sport along the way.

“Our mission is to expand tennis in and around Northwest Missouri,” he said. “We try to do that through lessons, leagues, clinics, the Parks and Rec department and schools.”

Overland Park Racquet Club

Six years ago, Elliott McDermed and Eric Rand, founders of Kansas City United Tennis, decided that they were ready to expand their roles in the tennis community. They purchased the Overland Park Racquet Club, and have since transformed it into a first-class facility.

“We’ve been taking on this project and trying to make it the best club in the United States,” McDermed said. “We’re not there yet, but we’re pretty proud of what we’ve done there with the club.”

In those six years, they have poured countless time and resources into bettering the club, constructing and refurbishing. The club boasts 14 indoor courts, four clay courts and four hard courts to go along with a fitness center as its main attractions.

Since McDermed and Rand’s arrival, they have reconfigured the clubhouse’s outlay, put in a new pro shop, renovated the locker rooms, upgraded the bar and restaurant and installed brand new lighting, among many other things. Next on the agenda is resurfacing the indoor courts.

“It's fun, but it’s also daunting,” McDermed said. “There’s always something new that we want to do. We just have to try to make good decisions along the way.”

With the purchase of the Racquet Club, they have merged their highly successful KC United Academy. The Academy now largely functions out of the Racquet Club, teaching young players the values of academics, athletics and sportsmanship. The results speak for themselves; they have graduated over 50 collegiate tennis players since 2008, placed individuals on the national stage and brought in a number of organizational awards.

Through it all, Rand and McDermed remain committed to increasing inclusivity in the game of tennis.

“There are multiple opportunities to play at the club as a non-member,” McDermed said. “Outreach and growing the game is one of our greatest missions.”