The appointment of Nate Price as the women's tennis coach at Hope College has been announced by co-athletic director Eva Dean Folkert.
The appointment of Nate Price as the women's tennis coach at Hope College has been announced by co-athletic director Eva Dean Folkert.
Price, head tennis professional at Hope's DeWitt Tennis Center, will
fill a vacancy created by the recent death from cancer of Karen Page
who guided the Flying Dutch for 12 years, including an MIAA
championship season this past spring.
"Though Karen Page, our friend, is not replaceable, we still needed
to find someone worthy of guiding what was "her" program and team with the same
passion for students and the game that she possessed, Folkert said.
"We have found that person in Nate Price. He is an imminently
qualified tennis professional who is extremely excited about this new
position. I, and others in the Hope tennis and athletic communities,
know Nate to be an exceptional young man with much tennis wisdom and a
desire to coach and lead. Again, no one can truly replace coach Page,
but with time and with Nate's leadership, my hope is that we all find
some measure of a peace and comfort to move forward into the 2010 season."
"I am grateful for this opportunity to lead the women's tennis team
and will strive to build on the success the program enjoyed under
coach Page. My goal is to engender the enthusiasm and love of tennis
established through her," said Price.
Price is well known by the Holland and West Michigan tennis
communities. He is graduate of Holland West Ottawa High School and attended
Aquinas College where he excelled on the tennis court. At Aquinas he
was ranked in the top 20 nationally of the NAIA. He has taught tennis
at all levels.
Since 2003 he has been the head tennis professional at the DeWitt
Tennis with a wide range of responsibilities such as coordinating
operations of the Hope College Tennis Academy, leading the Women's
Travel Team program and coaching United States Tennis Association
tournament and high school matches.
In 2008 he was honored as the Western Michigan Tennis Association
player of the year. At the time he was ranked number one in the West
Michigan District in the Men's Open Division and ranked in the top 20
in the Midwest Section of the USTA for the men's open singles and
doubles.
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