Special from
Zoo Tennis
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Four months after being hired as a USTA Women's National Coach, Tom Gutteridge took his first international trip with a group of American junior girls, featuring a three-week tour of International Tennis Federation J300 tournaments in Costa Rica, Ecuador and Colombia.
Although that was a unique experience in his 13-year career as a coach, the 30-year-old's own journey from a farm in the English seaside resort of Weymouth to the highest levels of coaching indicates his willingness to expand his horizons in pursuit of his goals.
New USTA Women's National Coach Tom Gutteridge
© Contributed Photo
A national level player as a junior, Gutteridge fractured his back at age 16, and unable to compete for a year, turned instead to coaching.
"In England, it's a little different than in the US; there's quite extensive coaching qualifications, so to earn some money during that time and while I was doing my exams, I decided to start with the qualifications," Gutteridge said. "After about six months, I fell in love with coaching and I actually never went back to playing again."
