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A
gravel pit was once visible across 86th Street. There were no
hints of condominiums or houses, no signs of restaurants or
bookstores. The area has had noticeable change since the
Indianapolis Racquet Club opened on October 22, 1965. IRC has
changed right along with it. As new structures were rising in the
area, IRC was becoming the breeding ground for top junior players.
Over the past 40+ years, IRC has expanded its four court facility
located on Dean Road to include 16 indoor courts.
The late John DeVoe, who also founded the Indiana Pacers,
persuaded two other area businessmen, Walter Kuhn Jr. and Richard
Tinkham, to join him in investing in the club. DeVoe's idea became
a reality when he enticed 12 more future shareholders to partake
in what was going to be an enormous leap forward for the
Indianapolis tennis community.
Ed
Brune, who earned his law degree from the University of Cincinnati
and was a four-year U.C. varsity player, became the first indoor
tennis pro at the first indoor tennis club in Indiana and is today
still dedicated as not only a pro, but general manager and tennis
director. Mr. Brune has been very creative in offering
diversified tennis programs for our adult and junior membership.
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The club's first expansion came in 1969, when two more courts were
added and its second pro, Prem Gupta, came aboard. IRC's
membership quickly grew and a need for more courts and pros became
evident. The club expanded four more times. IRC now has
more than 25
pros on staff and 16 indoor courts at the Dean Road location.
In 1972 another indoor tennis club was built on the east side of
Indianapolis, known then as the Northeast Tennis Club. IRC
purchased the club in the late seventies and it is now called IRC
East, the "sister" club. The East Club has eight courts
and a fully stocked pro shop.
Barbara Wynne, one of IRC's shareholders, has been
instrumental in fostering the development of thousands of
youngsters through the Washington Township Tennis Program and by contributing to IRC junior programs. Her
creativity has contributed to numerous successful programs at the
Indianapolis Racquet Club. Hundreds of junior locally and
nationally ranked players have developed through IRC's truly challenging Competitive Junior Player's Program which has
produced such junior stars as Ginny Purdy, Todd Witsken, Shawn
Foltz, Jane Holdren, and Stephanie Reece.
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Our true strength lies in the
creation of teams for the summer and winter leagues. Our staff
spearheads the creation of numerous summer teams (as high as 60
teams). Prime movers here are Prem Gupta and Joe Alstott
(Administrative Manager).
For the ultimate selection in tennis equipment and attire, Pro
Shop Manager Jeff Rodefeld and Racquet Services Director Mike
Hagen provide players with Indiana's "Top Shop."
Recent renovations expanded IRC's Pro Shop to over 3300 square
feet with new merchandise, dressing rooms, and televisions. Mr. Rodefeld has been the prime mover in making the IRC
Pro Shop one of the best tennis equipment providers and is truly a
market leader in tennis. In 2004, the IRC Pro Shop, under
Rodefeld's direction, was voted one of the "Top Ten Pro Shops
in America." Look
for hours of operation and special discounts on our Pro Shop
page.
Through the years, IRC has not only catered to the club and
tournament player, but to the professional player as well. Arthur
Ashe, Manuel Orantes, Chris Everett, Nancy Richey, and Jimmy
Connors have all played at IRC. These players
participated in the U.S. National Clay Court Championships, which
IRC hosted for five years when the club had outdoor clay courts. Stan Malless, president of the
CITA in 1950 and 1951 and of the USTA from 1974 to 1976, was the
driving reason the club landed the tournament and was influential
in seeing the clay court circuit grow. The tournament was a huge
success. Each year there were two and a half times more
spectators than the year before.
IRC has also hosted the Virginia
Slims of Indianapolis (promoted by Barbara Wynne), the National
Boys' 12 & Under (developed by Steve Wakefield), and the
National Women's 65 & Over; and today it hosts a tournament
almost every week of the year. IRC president Stephen DeVoe has
served as director of the U.S. Clay Courts and GTE Pro
Championships for several years, as well as director of the U.S.
Open in New York. In addition, Mr. Brune's associate Steve
Wakefield, along with Jenny Reifeis and Julie Fritz, have consistently offered
multiple U.S.T.A. events for adults and juniors who are midwestern
or local players.
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To keep your tennis in top form, IRC has kept its facility in top
shape. For example, at our Dean Road facility we recently built a
viewing/tournament operations lobby. additional viewing
areas, an expanded pro shop, and a new nursery. The fitness
center re-opened in 2000 under the direction of Melissa Havel.
It is located in a private area overlooking courts 8 and 16. The center has 10 cardiovascular machines, 12 pieces
of Keiser equipment, and free weights. One can receive
personal training, athletic enhancement, and stretch and tone
sessions. Click here for more information on IRC's Fitness
Center.
As a member, you can become part of the history of the
Indianapolis Racquet Club. You can participate in all that it has
to offer including USTA sanctioned tournaments, mixed doubles
groups, winter and summer leagues, clinics for the beginner to the
advanced player, cardio tennis, walk-on, private lessons, and
more! Click here
for IRC membership
information or call our Member Services Office at
(317) 849-2531.
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