One of the most prominent members of the coaching staff at Lehigh University is also a Hellertown resident.
Lehigh head men’s and women’s tennis coach Wouter Hendrix is a native of Belgium and Hellertown resident.
Wouter Hendrix is both the Head Women’s Tennis Coach and the Howard Talmud ‘77 Head Men’s Tennis Coach at the Bethlehem school.
Hendrix, who is orginally from Belgium, said in a recent interview that he was inspired at an early age to pursue a career in tennis by his father, who was the Coach of the Royal Belgian Tennis Federation.
As an international juniors player, Hendrix twice won the Belgian Doubles National Championship and earned a spot in the Belgian tennis top five. Being a juniors player gave him the opportunity to compete alongside some professional players, including his former doubles partner, Kristof Vliegen, as well as Steve Darsus and David Nalbandian.
Hendrix began his career at Lehigh University as an exchange student from Belgium in 2007. In 2008, he began working as an Assistant Coach for the men’s and women’s program with David Shook. In addition, he became the Director of the Lewis Tennis Center.
In 2010, he earned his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and was subsequently hired full-time.
Since beginning his coaching career at Lehigh, Hendrix has been part of two record-setting seasons for the men’s program. In 2011, the team defeated Navy for the first time in 20 years and advanced to the Patriot League championship. In 2012, they defeated Army for the first time in 30 years. In 2013, the Lehigh men’s program won the school’s first-ever Patriot League championship.
Hendrix said his main goal as head coach is to foster and develop leadership in his student-athletes.
He is constantly seeking committed athletes for the tennis program. His philosophy encourages players to be internally motivated and to develop mental toughness.
Hendrix said he teaches his own philosophy through building a foundation of physical toughness and encouraging his athletes during practice to hit smart targets, using directional strategies and simulating pressure situtations in match plays. Student-athletes who become successful on the court and in the classroom do so by prioritizing academics and athletics over social time, and by appreciating the privilege of representing Lehigh, he added.
Recruiting and fundraising as key lifelines to the tennis program, he noted, and the new Ulrich courts and endowment of the head coaching position by Howard Talmud have been major steps in advancing Lehigh’s tennis programs.
Currently, the Lehigh men’s team has 11 players and the women’s team has 10 players.
The Mountain Hawks’ season will begin in mid-January and include 25 dates of competition.
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Here are a few questions and responses from Coach Hendrix about tennis, tennis culture and his life outside the sport:
SS: What made you decide to stay in Hellertown versus returning to Belgium and continuing your career back home?
WH: I stayed where I was (because I was) truly enjoying my job at Lehigh and the opportunity to develop a career in collegiate coaching is not available in Belgium.
SS: How is the tennis culture in the U.S. different from the tennis culture in Belgium? Is it a popular sport in Belgium?
WH: Tennis is very popular in Belgium. To reach the highest coaching certificate you have to complete a five-year program similar to a master’s degree. Our small country has produced some legendary players like Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters. The biggest difference between the U.S. and Belgian tennis culture lies in the fact that players grow up playing mostly on red clay in Belgium while the predominant surface in the U.S. is hard court. This breeds different styles of play.
SS: What would you say was the most pivotal moment in your tennis career and in your career as a coach?
WH: As a player I won the Belgian doubles championship twice as a junior and reached the finals of the Flanders Open. As a head coach I won the first-ever Patriot League title in Lehigh’s school history and earned the first ever bid to NCAA’s.
SS: Do you have any children and are they interested in tennis?
WH: Leo is six and Juliet is three. Both are enthusiastic about sports and will play whatever sport they love, whether it’s tennis or something else.
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In addition to his head coaching position at Lehigh, Hendrix interacts with the nearby community by offering adult and youth clinics that are open to the public.
Adult clinics are $25 and held on Fridays from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Upcoming dates are: Nov. 18, Nov. 25, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16.
Nine- to 18-year-old clinics cost $120 and are held Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Upcoming dates are: Nov. 19, Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17.
For more information, or to register for a clinic, visit the Lehigh University website.
Saucon Source wishes Wouter Hendrix and the Lehigh University men’s and women’s tennis teams all the best in their upcoming 2017 season.
Amy Bedner is a Saucon Valley resident and freelance writer.