Rich Benvin

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Julia O’loughlin interviews me for one of her school projects…

Julia: When were you born and where?

Rich: I was born in New York on October 28, 1967.

Julia: Where else have you lived beside the US?

Rich: I grew up in Lawrence, New York and went to the Woodmere Academy High School. I went to college at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where I lived for 5 years. When I graduated, I traveled all over the world living out of my suitcase playing on the professional tennis tour. My parents decided to move to Delray Beach, Florida so whenever I wasn’t playing any tournaments I was in Delray Beach. I played many tournaments throughout Europe buy whenever I had a short break I lived with my relatives in Northern Italy. I’ve lived in Delray Beach on and off for several years and I’ve also lived in Italy for one year and in Hamburg, Germany for three years. And finally, I’ve lived in San Francisco, California and in Denver, Colorado.

Julia: Who beside Brenda Schultz have you worked with on the pro tour?

Rich: I coached Brenda Schultz for 2 years. She was ranked top 20 in the world. I also coached Claudio Pistolesi who was from Italy and he was ranked top 100 in the world. We also played doubles together. When I finished playing on the pro tour I was a sparring partner for many top professional players like Aaron Krickstein, Mailvai Washington, Mary Pierce, Natasha Zvereva, Jennifer Capriati and other professional players. Also, when I was in Germany I coached a professional team which consisted of a Davis Cup player from Denmark named Jonathan Prinzlau. He was a very talented player.

Julia: What makes you such a great tennis coach?

Rich: I think I’m a great coach because I’m able to take the knowledge of my playing experience combined with what I’ve learned from many top coaches and explain it to my students in a very simple but effective way. Also, I coach each student individually depending on their level, ability and learning style. So, I can coach a beginner the basics of tennis as well as a top professional more advanced strategies. I’m also a positive coach and I help my students improve their tennis game as well as provide “life lessons” to build more self-esteem, self-confidence, a strong work ethic and morals. And I make it fun!

Julia: How come you enjoy coaching me?

Rich: I enjoy coaching you because you are a good listener, a hard worker and a very happy and positive person. You are a pleasure to teach because you want to improve and you’re able to take the information I give you and transfer it to your game a lot quicker than other students. You are also very competitive and a smart player, making you mentally tough on the court. And you’re such a cute girl!

Julia: Who taught you had to play tennis as a child and at what age did you start?

Rich: My dad Robert Benvin taught me how to play the game of tennis. I started at a very young age. In fact, I’ve seen pictures of myself crawling on a grass court with a small racquet in my hand. But I guess I really started to play tennis when I was 5 years old. It was very natural for me to start playing tennis since my Dad was a teaching pro at the Rockaway Hunting Club in New York. So I really loved to hang around the club with my Dad, my cousins and other tennis players.

Julia: Why did you pursue tennis as a career?

Rich: Well, I was a very talented junior player and I was always ranked top 10 in the nation - so it was obvious to me that I was going to pursue tennis as a career. I enjoyed the competition and I loved to travel as well as be my own boss. I just love the game of tennis and I feel very lucky to be able to make a living doing what I love.

Julia: What was your biggest obstacles in tennis?

Rich: I had many obstacles in my tennis career but they just made me stronger and pushed me to work harder. I think the obstacles that were the most difficult were the ones I had no control over. For example, I remember playing tournaments in North Africa and I got sick with a stomach flu and I wasn’t able to compete for over 4 months! And it took me awhile to regain my strength and conditioning. Also, I remember playing against Byron Black who was a high ranked player and I pulled a muscle in the second set. Even though I won the match in three sets I was out with my injury for a few months. But I think the biggest obstacle for me was financial. It was very expensive to travel and compete at a world-class level. Even though my parents supported me and I was sponsored my many tennis companies, I still felt very limited and felt a lot of pressure to win and succeed.

Julia: What were your tennis achievements?

Rich: As I mentioned before I was ranked top 10 in the nation throughout my junior career. In high school, I had a 93-2 winning record. In college, I played #2 singles and #1 doubles for a division 1 team and had the best record on the team. As a professional I was ranked top 30 in Italy and I achieved a world ranking of #650. As a coach, I helped Brenda Schultz achieve her best results in her career and I also led my German team to one of the highest levels in German Team Tennis. Also, I’ve helped many juniors achieve national and world rankings. One of my top students, Kellen Damico, is currently #8 in the world in the junior rankings. And my greatest achievement is yet to come.

Julia: Who was your biggest influence?

Rich: I would have to say that my Dad influenced me the most. I had many top coaches that influenced me but my Dad taught me how to never give up and to be a mentally strong and smart player. He taught me to enjoy the game and to use my experience as a tennis player to strengthen other areas in my life.