For forty years, Bob Wood was the face of the MHSTeCA workshop, the man who welcomed tennis coaches, introduced the presentations and made the announcements. But he often made it clear that much credit belonged to the man behind the scenes who was responsible for so much. Gary Bodenmiller was the one who retreated to his place in a back room come clinic time with no desire to appear on stage, even to briefly take a bow for what he had done. As Bob often said: “I get most of the credit because I make most of the announcements and I’m very visible. However, if the truth be known, Gary does ninety percent of the work before the workshops begin. The workshops would not take place if it were not for him.”

Gary was so very useful because of his close personal relationship to Bob and the fact that, in the early years, he owned a tennis club which was used for demonstrations.

Channeling Gary, RJ Tessier and Mike Janz offer the services of students of nearby Ferris State University Tennis Management Program. These are players who eventually graduate with a degree which will give them the tools to lead programs both on and off the court.

Mike Janz

RJ Tessier

For years, students of the PTM could be found in Troy as observers who engaged in presentations just as with the high school tennis coaches who attended. Eventually, they were supplied with a vendor’s table so students and their managers could connect even more with participants. But their presence became one of significant service once the workshop was moved to Holland.

Thanks to RJ and Mike, PTM students set up beforehand and clean up after the Friday sessions at the tennis center. They are present to greet registrants upon arrival, introduce presenters, serve as hitters during demonstrations, assist with lunch distribution, and make themselves available to help out in any other way. They also take part in Friday’s final session, a match between Ferris State and players from Hope College.

RJ offers a ton of experience along these lines. He has overseen programs as geographically varied as Bloomfield Hills, Boca Rotan FL, Henderson NV, and Houston TX. He has completed a USPTA/USTA degree in Competitive Player Development and was instrumental in the USPTA/USTA Developmental Coach category during its inception. To have him present at our workshops to interact with Michigan high school tennis coaches is a plus.

Mike, a product of the program that he now oversees, has engaged in every facet.  He is currently the assistant director although he has held the top job in an interim. His degree from Ferris was in the PTM plus Marketing. If he seems a bit tired at this year’s workshop, it is because he is the proud father of a newborn.

Together, these two bring a brigade of students who are in training to be in the tennis business. It is a win-win for both sides.

“The dedication of Mike and RJ has been instrumental in fostering this partnership,” says Peter Militzer who himself has been instrumental in maintaining the continuation of our workshop. “Their efforts have elevated the workshop experience, making FSU a unique and indispensable resource-- one that no other workshop of this sort in the country can claim.”