Source: PTR
Hilton Head Island, SC - - Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) will present its annual awards in February at the 2017 PTR International Tennis Symposium. The event, which includes more than 40 educational presentations for tennis teachers and coaches, a trade show and tournament, will be held February 15-18, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Dr. Ludovit ‘Louie’ Cap, of Hilton Head Island, will be inducted to the PTR Hall of Fame at the Awards Banquet on Wednesday, February 15.
Born in Czechoslovakia in 1945, Cap began his tennis career at 11 as a ball boy. From the moment he hit his first ball with a borrowed racquet, Cap was hooked. He played on the European circuit in 1964, but a scholarship to study nuclear physics in the USA lured him from the game . . . temporarily!
After two years at the University of Washington in Seattle, where Cap received M.S. in Physics and was involved with computer programming for Apollo mission, he transferred to Baylor to complete his education. There he assisted coaching the university’s tennis team, and in 1973, earned a PhD in nuclear physics. During summers at Baylor, Cap put his love of tennis to work teaching lessons for famed coach, Dennis van der Meer. The rest, as they say, is history. The nuclear physicist went to work full time for Van der Meer and has been on the court coaching tennis ever since! Sharing a passion for a game, Cap and Van der Meer became lifelong friends.
The friendship also spawned Cap to love another sport – running. During their first jog, Van der Meer blew past him, so the competitive Cap started clandestine training until he was good enough to beat his friend. Not just good enough to win a friendly jog, but good enough to finish a marathon. Cap has completed 40 consecutive Boston Marathons.
In addition to teaching countless thousands of students on Van der Meer courts in the USA, Cap travels the world for Professional Tennis Registry, training and certifying aspiring tennis coaches to teach tennis using fundamentally sound techniques. More importantly, Cap has been shaping tennis around the world as many national federations, including Hungary and Taiwan, invite him to train their top coaches.
Prior to his induction to the PTR Hall of Fame, Cap was one of the charter PTR International Master Professionals, was named PTR Professional of the Year in 1993, and PTR Tester of the Year in 2006.
About PTR Hall of Fame
The PTR Hall of Fame was created to preserve history and honor excellence. The PTR Board of Directors elects members for enshrinement. Candidates must be current or retired PTR members, and must have contributed to PTR and the game of tennis in a way that far exceeds the norm. Induction into the Hall of Fame is considered PTR’s highest honor. Cap is the sixth inductee, joining Dennis Van der Meer, Jim Verdieck, Dr. Jim Loehr and Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King.
About PTR
PTR is the largest global organization of tennis teaching professionals with more than 15,600 members in 127 countries. It has the greatest percentage of multicultural and women members of any such organization. PTR is dedicated to educating, certifying and servicing tennis teachers and coaches around the world in order to grow the game. To learn more visit ptrtennis.org.
