Jerry Johnson

870 Creek Road Irasburg, Vermont 05845

Phone: (802) 754-2265Email: ebsite:

Tennis Biography

Contributions to Tennis

  • Tournament Director: Central Massachusetts Open Championships
  • Tournament Director:WorcesterCounty Open Championships
  • Head Pro, Seven Hills Racquet Club (now Wayside Racquet Club), Marlboro, MA.

Organized & ran club tournaments; coach of junior & ladies teams; organized the Central Division
of the Penn League for junior competition involving Seven Hills and several other clubs. Junior
teams were undefeated. Jerry received commendation from Bill Mott (NELTA President) and
Helen Boisevain for his work with juniors and junior programs.

  • Head Pro, Mount Pleasant Country Club, Boylston, MA
  • Head Pro, Adult Education Tennis Program, Holliston, MA
  • Teaching Pro at Windridge Tennis Camp, Craftsbury, VT
  • Teaching pro for 40-plus years
  • Teaching Pro in WorcesterCounty for many years
  • Member of USTA Vermont Governing Board (2009 – 2015)
  • Regular contributor of tennis stories and poems to USTA Vermont’s website
  • Teaching Pro on his tennis court in Vermont
  • Member on New England’s Atlantic Coast Team
  • Writerfor theNew England Senior Tennis Foundation Bulletin (2001 – 2015)

Jerry has contributed approximately 50 tennis stories and poems to the Bulletin. They include:

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Clay Court of Dreams

Mauresmo
The Story Behind Triple Match Point

Triple Match Point
The Barn

Tennis Player’s Answer Machine
A Tennis Invitation

Gentleman Tim – Tim Henman
The Story of a Champion: Don Manchester

Drill Sergeant
Come Alive at 3.5

Hall of Fame Speech for Dick Ernst

Visit With A Legend – Nick Bollettieri

Hall of Fame Speech for Alan Chandronnait

Almost in the Bagh

You Are The Cat – Roger Federer
King Richard – Dick Ernst

Battleship Linoleum – Bud Collins
A Day at the Australian

The Halls of Justice – Nick Bollettieri

Klever Kiku – Kiku Andersen

Ode to Lilian – Lil Peltz Petow

Hair (a poem for Andre Agassi)

Jerry’s speech about Bud Collins

at Worcester Tennis Club Centennial

On Nights Like This – Bill Power

Vermont Team Does Well in National Competition

Tennis Haiku

Where are they Now? Spotlight on Steve Ethier

The Pre-Shaggy Days

Nothing is Impossible

The King of Swing

Grass

The French Open – Poetry on Clay

Swiss Cheese – Ned Eames

Where are they now? Spotlight on

Dorothy SnowBicknell

Attention, All You Tennis Aficionados

Cliff Richey – Facing his Toughest Challenge

Induction Speech for Albert Rogers

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

Our Precocious Poet – Alex Kaufmann

Team Richey

Ned Eames story

Our Friend – In Remembrance of Jonathan Fisher

Connors, McEnroe, Borg

An Al Rogers Story

Alan Chandronnait: Inventor

Gardner Ward Chase Memorial Bowl Speech

for Richard Ernst

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  • Published Books

A Bed of Leaves, 2004. Book includes tennis poems.

Up the Creek Without a Saddle, 2013. Bookincludes tennis poems.

Noah’s Song, 2014. Jerry donated the profit ($6,500) from the sale of the first 500 copies
of Noah’s Song to art scholarships in the name of the book’s artist
who passed away.

Jerry’s books have received accolades from several acclaimed writers, including Howard Mosher,

Reeve Lindbergh (daughter of Charles Lindbergh), and Sydney Lea (Poet Laureate of Vermont)

  • Teaching Professional and Coach

Jerry taught, trained and mentored several junior and college players. Four of his students won a Massachusetts High School Championship. Many of his studentsgainedhigh New England rankings, many earned college athletic and academicscholarships, some playedprofessional tennis and earned world rankings, and some madetennis their career.

These players include:

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Don Carbone (#8 Men’s, played for GeorgeWashingtonUniversity and Austin Peay; coach men’s and

Women’s teams at the University of Kentucky; director of tennis and part owner of Lexington

(KY) Tennis Club)

John Connors

Timothy Dewey

Lisa Doherty (WTA world ranking;co-owner of Preeg-Doherty Tennis, Inc., Naples, FL)

Ann Dudley (played for Duke)

Karen Dudley (played for William & Mary)

Ned Eames (Massachusetts High School Doubles Champion, N.E. sectional doubles champion,

captained San DiegoState,national & world rankings, President and Founder of Tenacity)

Steve Ethier (#4 in 18s, Massachusetts High School Singles Champion; played for MississippiState,

world rankingin singles & doubles;Tennis Director, Bailey Beach Club, Newport, RI; Head

Pro, BocaBayPass Club, Boca Grande, FL)

June Ferestien (#1 in 16s and 18s, played for University of Florida)

Danny Flanigan (Massachusetts High School Singles champion, teaching pro and coach)

Margaret Foley

Amy Harper (played tennis, basketball and softball for BowdoinCollege, All-American in basketball,

three-time Maine State Tennis Singles Champion)

David Hall (earned junior and men’s rankings, played for University of New Hampshire)

Dick Herbst (Massachusetts High School Singles Champion, played for Pepperdine)

Kevin Kraft(#12 in 14s, played for Virginia Tech)

Lisa Krakow

Sheila LaPerle (played for Worcester State College)

John Luyrink (played for BatesCollege, owner of Nantucket Tennis & Tennis Club)

Danny Mott (played for Worcester Polytechnic Institute)

Tom Mott (#1 in 14s and 16s, played for TexasChristianUniversity, world ranking)
Peter Prinos(played for FloridaStateUniversity, several high N.E. rankings)

Linda Scholl (#1 in N.E. Women’s, 4-year tennis scholarship to Pepperdine)

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  • Battles-Of-The-Sexes

During the 1970s, Jerry participated in three battles-of-the-sexes matches. The purpose of these events was to increase interest in the game of tennis and for fundraising. In the first contest, Jerry was pitted against Anne-Metta Sorensen (#1 woman from Denmark) at the Greendale YMCA in Worcester before a large crowd. In the second, when he was head pro at Seven Hills Racquet Club in Marlboro, he battled Lisa Doherty who was ranked second in New England 18-and-under singles. In the third, when he was a teacher at BrooklineHigh School, he played Lisa Krakow (a top New England junior and student at BHS) in a “Math Teacher vs. Student” match in the school’s gymnasium. Jerry managed to squeeze out victories in all three matches.

  • Speeches at USTA New England Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies

Jerry has done five presentations at the hall of fame proceedings:

2001 Read a poem for Nicholas “Chick” Sharry who was inducted posthumously

2005 Nominated Dick Ernst and did his induction speech

2006 Nominated Alan Chandronnait and did his induction speech

2011 Nominated Al Rogers and did his induction speech

2012 Presentation speech for the Gardner Ward Chase Memorial Bowl given to Dick Ernst

Playing Record

  • High School Athletic Record (South High, Worcester, MA)

- Played #1 position in singles & doubles. Team Captain.

- Led team in singles & doubles to Inter-High Team Tennis Championship over Classical High which

had not lost the championship in 25 years.

- Inter-High Tennis Champion of Worcester high schools.

- Co-captain of Hockey Team. 4 Inter-High Championship teams.

  • College Athletic Record (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)

- JV Men’s Tennis Team as a Freshman

- Men’s Varsity Tennis Team, 3 years, Co-Captain

- Eastern College Athletic Conference Merit Awardas thetop Scholar-Athlete of the University

- Paul Sears Putnam TrophyasMVP of the Men’s Tennis Team

- Sports Dads Association Award for Tennis

- Yankee Conference Champion at his positions

- 90-plus % winning percentage in singles & doubles

- Varsity Cross-Country Team

- 3-time consecutive winner of Intramural Cross-Country Race

- Graduated #1 in Civil Engineering, Magna Cum Laude.

- Academic Honor Societies:

Tau Beta Pi (National Engineering Honor Society) Phi Kappa Phi (National Honor Society)

Chi Epsilon (National Civil Engineering Honor Society) Eta Sigma (National Freshman Honor Society)

  • WorcesterCounty Open Champion: Singles – 10 times Doubles – 10 times Mixed Doubles – 1 time
  • Winner of several sanctioned tennis tournaments in the Men’s Open division, Men’s 25s, Men’s 35s, and Men’s 45s. Amassedmore than 20 wins over former top ten players, with eight of these wins over former number ones. Wins over PhilKadesch and Andy Chaikovsky (former No. 1s in the New England men’s open division), Brian Marsden and Lou Desmarteaux (former No. 1s in the New England 35s), Jack Dunmead and Wade Frame (former No. 1s in the New England 45s), Bill Power (former No. 1 in several New England divisions), and Bob Morton (former No. 1 in the Ohio Valley men’s open division).
  • Wins over 8USTA New England Hall of Fame players: Phil Kadesch, Jack Moter, Harvey Harrison, Bill Power, Jack Dunmead, Peter Allen, Al Rogan, Ned Eames.
  • Winner of first two New England Class B Championships in 1968 and 1969.
  • In 1991, rank of #5 in the 35s and #6 in the 45s (only player that year who was ranked in both divisions).
  • Men’s Open Rankings

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1968 Honorable Mention

196926

197033

197216

197334

1974 9

197523

197619

197815

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  • Some Tournament Results

New England Class B Singles ChampionshipsWinner1968

New England Class B Singles ChampionshipsWinner1969

Worcester County Open Singles ChampionshipsWinner (10 times)1968 - 1982

Worcester County Open Doubles ChampionshipsWinner (10 times MD, 1 time MxD)1974 - 1990

Mount Washington Open Singles Championships Runner-up1971

White Mountains Open Singles ChampionshipsRunner-up1972

White Mountains Open Doubles Championships Winner1972

Played European clay court circuit(Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Holland)1972

Sundance Open Championships Winner1973

MassachusettsState Open Championships Runner-up1974

Newfound LakeMen’s Open Championships Runner-up1974

Played the USTA/PENN circuit in FloridaGeorgia1979

Tallahassee Open Tennis ChampionshipsWinner1979

Forest Meadow Classic Championships Winner (25s) 1979

Chamberlain Pines Open Runner-up1979

Ad Fed American Cancer Society Tennis ClassicWinner (35s)1980

Orchard Hills JV Open ChampionshipsWinner (35s)1981

Chamberlain Pines Open Winner1983

Greendale YMCA Championships Winner1983

Lakeside Open ChampionshipsWinner 1984

EastonValley ChampionshipsWinner1985

Bolletteiri-ChangTennisCenter ChampionshipsWinner (35s) 1990

Great Expectations Championships Winner (45s) 1990

NELTA Men’s JV Singles Championships Runner-up (35s)1990

Tennis of Maine Championship Winner (45s) 1990

S. E. Massachusetts Clay Court Championships Runner-up (35s)1990

NortheastKingdom Open Doubles Championships Winner1990

NortheastKingdom Open Singles Championships Runner-up1990

Newport Tennis Club Doubles InvitationalWinner1994

Newport Prouty Open ChampionshipsRunner-up1997

  • Victories over the following players

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Peter Allen (Hall of Fame)

Michael Burke

Bill Busiek (beat 2 times, #12-Men’s, #8-35’s)

Eliot Campbell (beat 2 times, #22-Men’s)

Larry Cataldo (#16-45s)

Andy Chaikovsky (#1-Men’s)

Roger Challen (beat 3 times)

Bill Chick (#30-Men’s)

Jim Chisholm

Peter Cooper (#13-Men’s)

Steve Counihan (#15-Men’s)

Steve Crane

Harlan Cuklantz (#19-Men’s)

Jack Daley (#39-Men’s)

Robert Davenport (#6-45’s)

Chuck DeSalvo (#2-Men’s)

Lou Desmarteaux (#1-35’s)

Jack Dunmead(#23-Men’s, #1-45s, Hall of Fame)

Ned Eames (Hall of Fame)

Ben Edwards

Eric Ernstrom

Bill Fielding (#15-Men’s)

Damon Fitch(#1 VT men’s singles & doubles)

Wade Frame (#1-45s)

Steve Gallagher

John Galinato(#6, #8 Men’s)

Bob Garfield (#18-Men’s, #3-35s)

Joe Gill (#30-Men’s)

Steve Goldman (#33-Men’s)

Jud Goodnow

Jay Graham

Peter Guterman(#28-Men’s)

Harvey Harrison(#4, #7, #9-Men’s, Hall of Fame)

Dick Herbst (beat 3 times, Mass. HS champion)

Peter Holmes (#33-Men’s, #4-45’s)

Randy Jobson

Carl Johnson(#34-Men’s)

Tom Johnson(#58-Men’s)

Phil Kadesch (#7, #1-Men’s, Hall of Fame)

Peter Lyons (#5-Men’s)

George MacGovern

Jena Marcovicci (#32-Men’s)

Brian Marsden (#1-35s)

Norm Martel (#1 VT Men’s singles & doubles)

Aram Miller (#17-Men’s)

Robert Miller (#9-35s)

Bob Morton (#1-Ohio Valley, national ranking)

Jack Moter(#10-Men’s, #4-45s, Hall of Fame)

Danny Mott

Chuck Narvin (top 5 in Florida 35’s)

Tim Norton (#3-Mens)

Bob Oransky (top 5 in Florida 18s)

Bob Pipes (#21-Men’s)

Gene Poplawski (#5-45s)

Bill Power (beat 2 times, Hall of Fame)

Joe Regan (#22-Men’s)

Dave Robison (#24-Men’s)

Al Rogan(#35-Men’s, Hall of Fame)

Bill Ruth (#56-Men’s)

Gerhard Schmidt (#4-45s)

Peter Sirois (#13-Men’s)

Sean Sloane (#5-45s)

Dick Small

Lew Smolin (beat 2 times, #20-Men’s)

John Solow (#4-Men’s)

Dick Sontag (#35-Men’s)

Bill Sprout (beat 2 times, national & NE rankings)

Curt Tatreault

Chuck Warshaver

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