Total Tennis Program Expands to Greenhills

by Peter Malcomson

Jan. 26, 2018

Bill Maron loves tennis. He saw an opportunity to combine the already first rate Clublink golf operation in London, with an enhanced tennis experience courtside. Say hello to the latest evolution of tennis in London; "Total Tennis London at Greenhills”.

Total Tennis Inc. founder Bill Maron didn’t realize when he started teaching and managing at the Eglinton Flats indoor Tennis Club in Toronto in 1989, that the road would lead to Lambeth, Ontario, near London. “When I started in the tennis business in ’89, I was a young guy who loved tennis and wanted to be on the court all the time. To get a job teaching tennis and also to be in a position to actually manage a tennis facility was like a dream come true.”

Fast forward 30 years later Bill and his Aurora-based company Total Tennis, is expanding its tennis program to one of the nicest tennis facilities in the London area; the Clublink-owned Greenhills Golf Club. Greenhills has a long history of its own, as part of the tennis scene in Ontario. The tennis facility has been an important part of the Greenhills Golf Club since its opening in 1975 – it currently has 5 outdoor har-tru courts and 6 permanent plexipave indoor courts. Under the guidance of several terrific head tennis pros over the years, including long-time head pro Bill Anderson and current head pro Anthony Glavanic, the facility has provided members with a great venue for all sorts of tennis activities including recreational play, private and group lessons, youngsters summer and all-season camps and OTA sanctioned tournaments.

In 2001 Total Tennis formed a partnership with the Town of Aurora... to offer tennis lessons, leagues and kids summer camps.

So how does a guy running a tennis company in York Region end up managing a facility in South West Ontario? In order to figure that out we need to take a look back and see the progression of Bill Maron and the Total Tennis management philosophy. First a bit about Bill. As mentioned, Bill began his tennis career managing the Eglinton Flats Tennis Club in Toronto. As manager and head coach, Bill guided the 6-court bubble for 12 seasons. The experience gained during this time, as both a coach and manager, encouraged Bill to found Total Tennis and set out to offer professional tennis management services to clubs and facilities. In 2001 Total Tennis formed a partnership with the Town of Aurora (Bill’s home town) to offer tennis lessons, leagues and kids summer camps. Now in its 16th season, this program has grown to serve over 500 residents each season. As well, between 2001 and 2008, Bill focused on his coaching career, securing head coach/director posts at various GTA clubs including Davisville Tennis Club, Markham Tennis Club and the Nottawasaga Resort. Bill accepted the position of tennis and camps director at Timberlane Athletic Club in 2008 until 2016 when the club closed its doors.

Tennis Programs offer a great workout in a fun and supportive tennis environment and takes pride in ensuring the safety and well being of all players, students and campers.

The Total Tennis philosophy, as you might expect from the company name, offers a holistic approach to the sport. “Our coaches focus on building tennis fundamentals for players aged 3 to adult and levels beginner to advanced. You can count on getting a great workout in a fun and supportive tennis environment when you register for a Total Tennis program. We take pride in ensuring the safety and well being of all of our students and campers but that’s not all; when you participate in one of our programs you will be benefiting from excellent instruction from trained and qualified coaches. Our coaches teach, encourage and motivate the athletes to help them develop strong work habits and also to build self esteem. We always keep our ratio’s low to ensure high quality programming”. It’s an approach that has gained Total Tennis a large and faithful following in the Aurora area for the past 20 plus years.

Coaches focus on building tennis fundamentals for players aged 3 and up.

In early 2017 Clublink approached Bill with the idea of taking over the management of Greenhills. In recent years membership had declined and the facility was showing its age. Clublink, a golf first operation, felt that it would serve the tennis membership better if a tennis management company took over the operations of the courts. Bill had a look at the London area market, analyzed the size of the tennis community, the amount of competition that existed and the potential upside, and decided that the property had great potential. “The London area has always been a strong tennis community with a rich tradition. Given its size and the relatively small number of indoor tennis facilities, I feel that Greenhills has a great chance to thrive and expand its tennis offerings”. Bill negotiated with Clublink to undertake a long term partnership to run and manage the tennis operations. Clublink has agreed to undertake a significant facility improvement by repairing the indoor structure’s roof. “We have finalized a lease agreement with the ClubLink Corporation beginning in January, 2018 to own and operate the tennis club located at Greenhills Golf Club in the town of Lambeth. The club will be called Total Tennis London at Greenhills and will offer five beautiful outdoor har-tru clay courts as well as six indoor hard courts. The club offers change rooms and showers as well as an elevated spectator area overseeing the first three indoor hard courts”.

In keeping with the Total Tennis philosophy, Total Tennis London at Greenhills will continue to be a leading London area tennis and junior camps destination. As well as offering existing and new members with a great playing environment, Total Tennis staff will focus on building tennis fundamentals for players aged 3 to adult and levels beginner to advanced. The programming will offer a great workout in a fun and supportive tennis environment and will take pride in ensuring the safety and well being of all players, students and campers.

The aim is to increase overall membership numbers and to provide opportunities for local families to visit our club and get involved through our programs and camps.

With respect to coaching and club management, Bill is pleased to announce that long time facilities manager Susan Smorowski and coach Anthony Glavanic will continue in their roles at the club. Bill is also bringing in Total Tennis head coach Jordan Master to get the new Total Tennis programs off to a good start. The membership and court fee schedule is being adjusted to offer flexibility for different player needs, including both winter and summer season membership. The plan is to reduce membership and court fees in an effort to make our club more affordable. Total Tennis hopes to re-surface the six indoor courts prior to the 2018 winter season. The aim is to increase overall membership numbers and to provide opportunities for local families to visit our club and get involved through our programs and camps. As well, Total Tennis, with Anthony Glavanic’s capable management and oversight, will continue to offer OTA sanctioned tournaments at the club for all ages and levels.

“My aim is to create an environment where local players and families, whether they are beginners, recreational players or high level competitors, can come to the club and have a great tennis experience, EVERY time!”.

For more information on Total Tennis London at Greenhills, including membership options, programming, camps and facilities, visit totaltennis.ca

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