Today we’d like to introduce you to Liga Dekmeijere.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am from Riga, Latvia. I started playing tennis at the age of 6. I played tennis on WTA Tour for about 15 years being ranked top 100 in doubles for 10 consecutive years and with a career high ranking of #54 in doubles and #287 in singles. I have competed at all mayor tennis events such as Wimbledon, Us Open, Australian Open and Roland Garros and many more. All together I have 21 career doubles titles. Throughout my career, I have traveled all around the world to compete in professional tennis events, which also gave me an opportunity to learn about different cultures and people from all over the world. However, the most time I spent in USA due to the perfect training possibilities and many tournaments there is to play. So, with time I realized that I would like to stay here even after my career and start developing young players and teach tennis.
It just so happened that I ended up in Flower Mound, TX and started Overall Tennis Development. I work with players of all levels on a very personal and private basis. One of my most accomplished player is Eric Morris from Corinth, TX. Eric has excelled on the junior level and now has signed to play for University of Denver. The goal though with Eric is to eventually play on the ATP Tour. I enjoy seeing improvement in all of my students, but my main expertise and desire is to develop professional players which is not easy, but that’s why it’s even more rewarding. Like I mentioned earlier, I work very individual and with each student we find a way of making progress and setting goals. When it comes to developing an elite tennis player there is a lot more to consider, so in that case we go beyond tennis, we strategically develop a plan including strength and conditioning, tournament schedule, travel plans and much more. All in all, I make sure we focus on what matters, but not forgetting the fun factor in it as well.
Has it been a smooth road?
OH, you know…. professional tennis is not what everyone sees on TV…. There is a long and hard road to get there…. physically and mentally it can be hard, being on the road and away from family and home…. But yet again, to achieve something extra ordinary anywhere in life you have to make sacrifices. And if you love what you do it’s not even that bad. I earned a lot and towards the end of my career I knew that I want to give my knowledge and my experiences to the next generation and hopefully be fortunate enough to build a champion one day.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Overall Tennis Development – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I started Overall Tennis Development, so I could share my experience with people who love tennis. I specialize in High Performance tennis, but I also work with all levels of players, because it would be silly to not share my knowledge with people who love the game and want to get better even if they are only playing at an amateur level. I am proud of each of my students for giving their best effort and making improvements in their own games. What separates me from others is that I am honest with my students, I don’t praise them for every shot that lands in the court, but I praise them for doing the right things… In general, when it comes to tennis coaches, it is very difficult to find someone who really knows their stuff from actually spending their entire life in it. It is too easy get certified and call yourself a tennis professional, but to truly know the game and work that needs to be put into it, not many people know. Alone in the DFW area, I could count on my 10 fingers people who really are experts when it comes to tennis. I consider myself one of them.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like about Flower Mound is that it is big enough to where it has everything you need right at hand, and if you wanna go out the big D is only 30 min away. I like being closer to the country and nature… What I like least about the city is that there are not enough tennis courts :-)… NO, but really, it’s a great place to raise a family…
Contact Info:
- Website: www.overalltennisdevelopment.com
- Phone: 480 414 1619
- Email: overalltennisdevelopment@gmail.com
- Facebook: Overall Tennis Development
- Twitter: OTDTennis
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