Embracing FGCU Men's Tennis

Some of my most memorable years were reaped as a student athlete at the University of Hartford, in West Hartford, CT. A great part of that was playing for the fans that came out to our home games...and there were a few that followed the team if we were anywhere in the vicinity.

Well we have an institution of higher learning right here in town, with men's and women's tennis teams, but for some reason, those teams don't seem a part of the incredibly vibrant tennis community that we have here. I can only speculate about why that is...

We all know the institution is there…somewhere by Florida Gulf Coast Town Center, isn’t it? Surely we’ve seen some highlights of FGCU sporting events on nightly news, or read basketball or soccer results in the News-Press, right? But do we ever hear of or see anything about Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) Tennis? Perhaps you have, but I haven’t.

Coach C.J. Weber &
Lance Lvovsky support Pro League

Even if you have, first-year FGCU Men’s Tennis Coach, C. J. (can’t be all bad, he uses initials- wink) Weber, plans to take FGCU Men’s Tennis to a new level in the Fort Myers/Naples area. He intends to make FGCU Tennis an integral part, rather than a peripheral piece, of the local tennis community. 

C.J. coaching Tianyu Bao & Michael Beiler 

In keeping with his objective, C. J. is inviting everyone in the tennis community to help his team (2-3) host conference foe, Kennesaw State (5-4)  this Thursday, March 1^st at 7pm. The home match coincides with the team’s USTA Campus Kids’ Day event, and additional bleachers will be on hand. According to C. J., "My hope is to have 400-500 fans out there! It should be a great event for the community to come out to the courts.”

FGCU Men's Tennis 2011-2012

The match on Thursday is the first night match at home, and even the kids ought to be able to come to this one. There's one more night match on March 29th (Click here for complete Men's Tennis Schedule), but we can help FGCU move to 3-2 on their home courts with some vocal support. I intend to be there!

More Outreach

FGCU will continue its outreach to the community on Saturday, March 10th, from 9am – 12pm, when FGCU’s Men’s team will host a clinic, pro-am, and exhibition on their newly resurfaced courts. Of course the entire tennis community is invited. Click on flyer for more details. 

Meet C.J. Weber

Who is C. J. Weber? Well, perusal of his bio suggests that he has been a talented and successful college player, and perhaps an even better coach. Asked about his credentials, C. J. replied, “Most notably, I recently worked with #37 ATP touring professional, Kevin Anderson, in December 2011 before his tour in Australia, where he made the third round of the Australian Open. Prior to that, I’ve had touring experience at 3 of the 4 grand slams with recently retired ATP player, Ryler DeHeart. I’ve coached 7 total All-Americans in the last 6 years of college coaching.”  Of course there’s more, but it’s all there for you on the FGCU Men’s Tennis website.


The bottom line is that we have as active and thriving a tennis community as there is anywhere, and we have an up-and-coming tennis program that could use our support. I plan to do my share, and I'm hoping you will join me. See ya Thursday night at the FGCU tennis courts! Game, set, match...T A