Tennis Park of Fame 2017

Inductees

Dick McGaw:
Dick McGaw has been playing the game since the age of 5, over 70 years now, playing and competing at the highest level. Growing up in Indiana, he lived across the street from the main tennis center in Fort Wayne and fell in love with the game. Playing in his first tournament at the age of 8, ball-boying for the men's professional tour, and competing successfully in tournaments as a youngster through the present. "Tennis has been good for me. It helped build physical and Psychological strength, moral character, and social relationships."

Dick has given back as a volunteer assistant coach at PHS, served on the committee to rebuild the YC tennis facility, was former tennis chair at Hidden Valley as well as many other tennis programs.

Binki Thalmeier:
Binki is a long time admired and hard-working USPTA Tennis Professional, serving as the Head Pro at the Prescott Racquet Club for years. She received the National Award for the Women's 55 and over Player of the Year in 2011, one of many awards received during her career. At 18 years old she won the Girls 18 & Under singles event for the Phoenix District Tennis Championships. During her time teaching in the Prescott area she brought many players into the game that are now solid in the tennis community.

Her main hope is, "That the students I have taught, developed a love for the game that gives them the same things it gave me - positive benefits for good health and lasting friendships."

Sterling Fetty:
Sterling has been coaching the Prescott High School boys & girls team for the last 10 years. He has walked the walk, in winning the 4A State Doubles High School Tennis Championships with partner Cory Bennett in 2000. He went on to play community college tennis became a USPTA Tennis Professional, teaching at the Prescott Racquet Club. He is currently running his own Junior Tennis Academy at Prescott High School.

His background in playing junior and adult tennis has given him the experience to help hundreds of tennis players, concentrating on juniors and having much success at the high school level - even here in the rural community of Prescott. Sterling has found a special formula in teaching junior players, having pulled off many team regional championships, for the boys & girls teams, with some of his juniors going on to play in college. One of his juniors, Taylor Johnson, a local player he coached for many years, is now ranked one of the top 10 girl players in the world.

Rick Bothell:
Rick Bothell who retired from teaching tennis at PHS in 2005 after 24 years there winning many regional tennis championships for both the boys and girls teams, coach of the year honors, two doubles state champions in Shannon and Michelle Howell, as well as Sterling Fetty and Cory Bennett, created some unmatched feats as a local coach to date. He began playing the game at the age of 11 playing high school tennis, earning a 2nd place berth with future tennis professional Jim Munsil his junior year. He went on to play at Phoenix College - teaching during his spare time. What Rick doesn't tell anyone is all the things he did around being a great high school coach. He is a man of many talents - putting in divider fences at the high school courts, enclosing part of the tennis patio at Y.C. to create a shed for a pro to reside/, fixing cracks, volunteering hundreds of hours to kids and the program. He's the best!

Esther Brown
Esther Brown was the girls' head tennis coach at Prescott High School from 1990 - 2004. During that time, she led the team to several regional championships and was awarded Coach of the Year seven of those years. In addition to the time she spent coaching tennis, she was teaching high school students full time, showing tremendous dedication.

Joe Morales
The death of Joe Morales left a very big void in the Prescott Valley tennis community. He coached players at Bradshaw Mt High School and was relied upon to provide opportunities for players, especially juniors, to hit with. Even after he retired from coaching, he continued to attend tennis clinics held at the high school, in addition to playing on a daily basis.
He was also integral in the high school's expansion from 4 courts to 6 courts.

What he did for tennis at Bradshaw as their tennis coach with his "no-cut" rule continues today in their program and the many he inspired.