Heim Tabbed Net Generation Wheelchair Ambassador

To facilitate the growth of wheelchair tennis at the junior and grassroots levels, the USTA has appointed 13 wheelchair tennis providers in the inaugural Net Generation Wheelchair Ambassador program. Kevin Heim, Executive Director of Woods Tennis Center in Lincoln, Neb., has been tabbed as the representative for USTA Missouri Valley. 

This group will assist the USTA in fostering the next generation of wheelchair tennis players by collaborating with current providers, creating new programs, and increasing outreach to associations affiliated with adapted sports. 

They will also work alongside the organization's national wheelchair staff and committee to enhance communication across the wheelchair tennis network in pursuit of growing the game. 

Heim began working at Woods in 2008 as the Head Pro.  In 2009 he added the position of General Manager and in 2010 was named Executive Director. Under his direction, Woods Tennis Center has expanded its wheelchair, club and USTA leagues, partnered with Lincoln Parks & Rec to bring tennis lessons to City Rec Centers and CLCs, and significantly increased its junior tournament participation.  He is currently one of 10 USTA Wheelchair Net Generation Regional Providers in the country serving the Missouri Valley section and is a Team USA National Wheelchair Coach assisting with camps and coaching at tournaments around the country. 

In 2018, Heim coached the US National Wheelchair Quad team at the World Team Cup in Apeldoorn, Netherlands to a bronze medal.  Heim grew up playing tennis in Omaha before playing collegiate tennis at Midland University.  He coached high school tennis at Valley High School before moving to Milwaukee, Wisc.  Heim taught at the high school level and coached tennis in Wisconsin for 11 years, producing nine Wisconsin team state championships, one state runner-up, 12 individual state champions and 53 first-team all-staters. Many of his players went on to play collegiate tennis. 

He worked at Le Club and Pleasant Valley Fitness & Tennis Clubs and also co-founded the Koppa-Heim Tennis Academy in Wisconsin, where he helped develop a program that began with 60 juniors and grew to more than 600 adults and juniors in eight years. He is married to Kara who works for the USTA as the Tennis Service Rep for Nebraska and they have three daughters (Sadie, Lela and Zibby).