OUTDOORS
the RACQUETEER NORTHRIVER YACHT CLUB’S DIRECTOR OF TENNIS GARY HENDERSON HAS BEEN ON THE COURT ALL HIS LIFE, AS A SPECTATOR, PLAYER AND COACH BY BECKY HOPF PHOTOS BY MICHELLE LEPIANKA CARTER
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t is likely the most famous venue in the sport, the dream destination for generations of tennis players the world over. Among those who made that dream a reality is Gary Henderson. NorthRiver Yacht Club’s director of tennis has not only lived the dream of competing at Wimbledon, but also experienced it from five different vantage points. As a child growing up in England, his first exposure to Wimbledon was watching the matches on television. At 19, he was working as a coach in
London and scored tickets. In 1995, he bettered that view, winning his way into Wimbledon’s main draw in both singles and doubles. Ten years later, playing days over, he experienced Wimbledon again, this time as coach of a player in the championships. And, in the ultimate tennis fantasycome-true, in 2011, he accepted a rare invitation to become a member of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. “Back in the day, we only had four TV channels,” said Henderson, who first took
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