.jpg)
.gif)
.gif)
.jpg)
|
|
By Ryan Wolfington Las Vegas has been a hot bed for tennis going back to the Alan King Tennis Classic , the Agassi years and now with our booming tennis community that includes countless high end country clubs and public facilities. Most Las Vegas tennis professionals come from far and away, others states, most often other countries. Jason Harman however is the exception. Jason, who was raised in Las Vegas, started tennis very late at the age of sixteen. When trying to play high school tennis for Cimarron Memorial he was cut. Much like the block buster film RUDY, Jason had a desire and willingness to prove them wrong. Harman teamed up with his father, who knew little about the sport, to teach himself using his heart, hustle and a ball machine. His relentless work ethic landed him the #1 singles spot on the team and eventually a spot playing college tennis a few years later. Playing for College of the Desert in Palm Springs, CA Jason won the Jr. College doubles Rolex Tournament for Southern California and was ranked 4th in the country for Jr. College doubles in 1999. Soon after Harman came home to play for the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) under the direction of coach Larry Easley. This was on a team that included other notable locals Robbe Parlade and Nenad Zivkovic. |
|
Soon after graduating Jason, like most tennis pros, looked at a variety of career paths. His love and passion for tennis kept bringing him back to the court, where he coached at Desert Palms, Darling Tennis Center, Red Rock Country Club, Spanish Trails Country Club and Canyon Gate Country Club, before landing at his present position as the Director of Tennis at The Ridges. The Ridges according to their web site is "an ultra-exclusive enclave of custom homesites where blending in will always be out." To see it is to believe it. The development and surrounding courts are among the nicest on the west coast. Situated at the height of Summerlin, the Ridges is where some of the valleys most beautiful homes are built. The exclusivity and luxury of the Ridges has attracted top talent like Harman and former touring pro Sarge Sargsian, who was one of the best singles players in the world, and is second only to his close friend Andre Agassi in our city of Las Vegas. The teaching professionals at The Ridges include a past USTA Nevada coach of the year, Rob Kirkendall, and this years USTA Nevada ten and under coach of the year, John McElroy. The club has league teams from 2.5 to 5.0, a variety of tennis clinics and socials as well as a state of the art fitness and spa area for members. Harman, now married with a four year old daughter, is extremely excited to be on the tennis court, in his home town at such an extraordinary club. "The Ridges community is as good as it gets," Harman said. "The members are the nicest people and I am glad how much they are getting excited about tennis and fitness." |
.png)
.png)
.jpg){kind=logo}
