Love and passion for the game cultivated by a legend in the tennis world..... My "Coach"
A more intimate point of view and deeper understanding of Jordan Boecker's love and passion for tennis. Where it all began....
Jordan Boecker was born and raised in Groesbeck, Texas and started playing tennis at the age of 14. Groesbeck, despite its small size, has a rich tennis culture and a notable history in the sport. The community's enthusiasm for tennis is often reflected in its local facilities, events, and perhaps even in the achievements of local players or teams. If you ask Jordan how or why he fell in love with tennis he would reply without hesitation, “Coach, Jim Longbotham.”
“There’s a little town outside of Waco called Groesbeck (population: 4,200). And if you’ve heard of it, it's probably because you know the Longbotham Family. They’ve been growing Texas tennis since the 1960s, quite literally… In 1963, Tom Longbotham (a high school doubles champion) helped build the first tennis courts in Groesbeck. The following year, his son, Jim, would join the first Groesbeck tennis team.
Over his decades-long career as a high school no-cut coach, Jim Longbotham averaged 50 players per year and was instrumental in bringing mixed doubles to Texas High School Tennis. He led players to State for 25 consecutive years and produced 5 individual State champions, multiple tennis pros, high school coaches, and two D1 College Coaches.
Four generations later, hundreds of tennis professionals, players, and families are forever linked with this small-town tennis community thanks to Tom, Jim, Colleen, Megan, Lauren, Stephen, and Courtney. And Texas Tennis is all the better for it.”
- AINSLEY W. KELLER | February 17, 2023
To view the full article please check out the the link below:
https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/texas/2023-family-of-the-year-award.html#tab=tournaments