Several years ago Dr. Charles Darley held a clinic in Grand Marais to teach beginning tennis players the basics of this elegant sport. A former professional tennis player, Darley has spent much of his life promoting and teaching the game of tennis. This past week the Cook County Tennis Association announced that Darley was named director of tennis instruction, which means that anyone who wants to learn how to really play the game of tennis has no excuse not to learn from a great teacher.
On Tuesday, March 20, the Cook County Tennis Association (CCTA) announced the appointment of Dr. Charles Darley as director of tennis instruction for the 2018 season. Darley will lead a comprehensive tennis teaching and training program for all levels of youth and adults at the Grand Marais tennis courts from April through September.
Darley, a United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Elite Professional, brings world class academic and tennis backgrounds to his role as the CCTA director of tennis instruction. He received a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Stanford University and continued his research on human learning, memory, and perception during his post-doctoral studies at Stanford Medical School. His interest in applying this training and knowledge to sports led him to embark on a 40-year career of teaching and coaching tennis at the personal, club, state, college, national and international levels.
Darley was named to the USTA Northern Section Hall of Fame in 2013. He is also a member of the State of Iowa Tennis Hall of Fame and the Rochester, Minn. Athletics Hall of Fame. From 2002 to 2004 he was the director and head coach of the North Shore Tennis Camp in Grand Marais, under the auspices of the CCTA.
As a player, Darley compiled a high school record of 72-0 at Rochester John Marshall, and is one of only three players to win three Minnesota high school boys’ singles championships. He played college tennis at the University of California, Berkeley where he was a two-time All-American and three-time Northern California Intercollegiate singles and two-time doubles champion. In 1967, he was ranked No. 20 in the U.S. in singles and No. 5 in doubles, and No. 1 in Northern California in singles.
During the three years he played U.S international-level tournaments, he faced 10 players ranked No. 1 in the world and nine players ranked No. 1 in their countries.
“We are thrilled to have Charley leading our tennis programs and instruction,” said William Hennessy, president of CCTA. “The appointment of Charley represents a renewed commitment to promoting and teaching the game of tennis in the Cook County community,” Hennessy added.
About the Cook County Tennis Association
The CCTA is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting the game of tennis in Cook County.
Organized play and instruction is available from May through September at the Cook County tennis courts, 201 W. 5th St., Grand Marais. For further information on the CCTA contact Robert Gordon, vice president of marketing at robert.d.gordon@me.com. For more information on 2018 programs and instruction offered by the CCTA contact Dr. Darley at charles-darley@uiowa.edu and 319-621-4310.
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