Coach Dad
Married to The Tennis Mom for a dozen years now, Frank Hornig had built a successful career in investment banking in his native Berlin, Germany, when in 1985, at the age of 27, he made a life-changing decision to leave banking and finance to pursue a career in tennis. A complete novice player, he moved to Marbella, Spain, to work under the legendary Klaus Hofsaess, Head Coach of the German Federation Cup Team, taking tennis lessons in exchange for bookkeeping and other financial services.
After spending seven months in Spain honing his tennis skills, Hornig moved to Tyler, Texas where he entered Tyler Junior College and the world’s first two-year college-accredited degree program for tennis teaching professional managers, created by Steve Smith. Deemed the “Harvard of Tennis Teaching” by United States Professional Tennis Registry founder and President, Dennis Van der Meer, Tyler Junior College tennis graduates include a “who’s who” of the international tennis community.
Following two years of intense tennis science and classroom study and over 800 practical on-court teaching hours, Frank graduated magna cum laude and on the National Dean’s List with an Associate degree in Applied Science with a specialization in Tennis Teaching.
Since 1989 Frank Hornig has lived in Montreal, Canada and has introduced thousands of Quebecers to tennis, sending many students on to college and university tennis scholarships in the United States. A true teacher’s teacher, Frank also has extensive experience working with all levels of players, from beginners through to elite, however finds personal enjoyment in teaching beginning junior or adult players, providing them with a firm foundation in the fundamentals of tennis technique.
While Frank is truly delighted to watch his students progress, striving to reach their fullest individual potential, his proudest moments as a tennis teacher come when watching his 11-year-old daughter Lauren smile up into the stands at him after hitting a powerful cross-court winner.
Frank’s has received certifications from Tennis Canada (Coach 1 and Coach 2), the United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR), the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), United States Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA) and Computennis. He is a certified United States Tennis Association Umpire and is a United States Tennis Association (USTA) Lifetime Member.
