As spring approaches, thank the good Lord for the sunshine and all the good things that come with spring.

Driving down Middle Tennessee Boulevard lately, you cannot help but notice the grand tennis complex that has gone up on the campus of MTSU next to Murphy Center. I had a great opportunity to sit down with MTSU men’s head tennis coach Jimmy Borendame, but before we dive into his interview, let’s talk about tennis and where we played it over the past 50 years or so here in Murfreesboro.

If any of you know me, you know that I am not athletic. However, for some reason, I’ve always loved tennis. All you have to do is hit the ball over a net while running. It’s a good workout, and you get to wear cool clothes and make new friends.

In the late ’70s I decided I wanted to play tennis. My first lessons were from Coach Dale Short, who has been a legend around these parts for a good while. He even played against John McEnroe in his youth.

Coach Short gave me lessons over at the Oaklands Park, which also had baseball fields and a swimming pool in addition to its tennis courts. This is where I practiced my game of tennis.

Some of the other places I played included the River Rock Racquet Club in West Murfreesboro (the first indoor tennis court in Murfreesboro, I believe) and, if I was lucky enough, I got to play at the old Palmer Roberts Home tennis court on East Main Street, next door to Central Christian Church. I actually lived in the carriage house, which made it very convenient. That one was really cool, because you felt like you were a member of a club.

I also played tennis out at the city-run courts at Old Fort Park, which is home to the Adams Tennis Complex today.

And one of my favorite places for playing tennis was the old MTSU courts next to Murphy Center. I liked them because when I was in college there they were convenient and you didn’t have to fight for a court. A drawback was sometimes the drivers going up and down Tennessee Boulevard would honk their horns (perhaps because they would encounter one of my errant tennis balls that would make it over the fence onto the street!).

Later in life, into my 50s, I started a tennis league called the 50-plus OK Tennis League. To be a part of the league you either had to be in your 50s or an OK tennis player. We met on Monday nights and it gave me and our 50-plus-year-old friends an opportunity to feel like we were good at something. The league hasn’t played in several years, but I still love tennis.

One other place I play is at Rogers Park, off of Bradyville Pike. Rogers Park is nearly nine acres that my grandfather, Fred Rogers, gave to the city, with the only hitch being that it had to be a park for everybody to enjoy. It’s one of a few that have tennis courts on the grounds. Papa would be proud!

As you can see, there are several places you can play the game of tennis here in Murfreesboro, and most of them are free! I encourage you to pick up a racquet and go hit some balls and enjoy this spring weather.

But on to the real story about the new outdoor tennis complex at MTSU. Coach Jimmy Borendame was kind enough to discuss the new complex and tennis at MTSU. When he took over the program in 2011, the courts were 40 years old and the asphalt was deteriorating. Plus, when Middle Tennessee Boulevard was widened in 2016, that project took away three of the courts.

But MTSU tennis recently unveiled its brand new $8 million tennis complex there.

Now, more from Coach Jimmy B. Enjoy!

MTSU men’s tennis coach Jimmy Borendame displays multiple conference title rings as evidence of the tennis program’s progress Thursday, Sept. 15, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Blue Raiders’ new outdoor tennis complex to be built near the corner of Middle Tennessee Boulevard and Greenland Drive where the current outdoor courts are located. At left is MTSU women’s tennis coach Tayo Bailey-Duvall. (MTSU photo by Andy Heidt)

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Mr. Murfreesboro: Could you give a short summary of your background?

MTSU Men’s Tennis Coach Jimmy Borendame: I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, called Wheaton. I started playing tennis because my little sister came home and told me she could beat me in tennis. This sparked my interest because we are a very competitive family. I never put a racket down after that. I played in high school and in college at Butler University, and wasn’t sure what to do with my life.

After college I tried to play some, but then got offered a chance to be a graduate assistant coach to pursue two options I thought could be my calling for the future. At West Virginia University, I was the graduate assistant coach and did a one-year masters of sport management program. I either wanted to coach or become an athletic director, and here I got to pursue both plans.

I loved coaching and went on to be a full-time assistant coach at College of William and Mary, then assistant coach at Virginia Tech. I met my wife, Genevieve Borendame, at Virginia Tech. I got promoted to associate head coach as the team rose up the rankings into top 25 in the country. I wanted to be a head coach, and got an opportunity at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. However, my wife was from Gulfport, Mississippi, and the cold and her didn’t mix well.

In 2007 I had interviewed at Middle Tennessee and didn’t get the job. So, in 2010 when the job opened up again, I was interested and my wife wanted to go back south. Ever since then, I have been at Middle Tennessee, spanning 14 seasons.

Who are your biggest influences?
My biggest influences are my parents. My mom is a very passionate, small, fiery Italian lady who pours her heart into her family and everything she does. My father was the chief technology officer at Wells Fargo Bank and is extremely driven and focused. They always pushed me to do my best and find something you love to do and will not be work. I would also give credit to my college tennis coach, Jason Suscha, for his passion for developing young men and my high school coach, Bob Hoppenstedt, for showing me the power of positive attitude and perspective.

Can you highlight some memorable moments or achievements from your coaching career that stand out to you?
Highlights for me are raising the funds for the Adams Tennis Complex for the indoor courts for all of Murfreesboro to use and play. That and the new outdoor tennis complex on campus are two huge things that I am very proud of.

What is the most rewarding aspect of coaching? What is the most difficult?
The most rewarding part for me is to see how the young men we coach transform into mature men both on and off the court. Our guys become well respected members of our community and know what is important in life. The most difficult part of my job is there becoming less and less focus on relationships in college coaching and more on the transactional part of the relationship. But, this is not just in college coaching, but in society in my opinion.

What do you feel is the most important quality of a coach?
The most important quality in a college coach is to find a person who cares about the players as a person, not just a player.

What has you most excited about the opening of your new tennis center?
I am most excited about getting fans and supporters back to campus. It’s been years since we have played here. I have always wanted to show people our campus and our product of tennis. This will help us check both boxes. I want more people to support Middle Tennessee State University as a whole and be part of the campus life here.

What advice do you have for aspiring tennis players who aim to play at the collegiate level?
Focus on getting better every day. Less on results, but more on pushing yourself each day to get better.

What is one of the greatest challenges for a student-athlete participating in NCAA Division 1 athletics today?
Time management is the key—balancing school and academics and social life. You can only be great at two of the three things, usually. Those who attempt to do all three usually struggle. You must focus your attention and energy on the two most important things, for college tennis players, school and your sport.

What does a typical day look like for your student-athletes?
Busy! Very busy—we train 7 to 8 a.m., then class, then study hall, then lunch, then practice 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., then nutrition station for a quick snack and then gym training from 4 to 5 p.m. Then, home to shower and then back to study hall until 7 p.m. before dinner and then some studying. It’s the life of a student-athlete. Sleep and repeat.

What activities and hobbies do you enjoy in your spare time?
I love to work out. You can find me at Gold’s Gym trying not to be fat. I am also at the volleyball court, baseball field or soccer field chasing around my two kids. Lynden is 12 and Rocco is 10. Of course, neither play much tennis, but that would make sense since Dad is a coach and so was Mom (but in swimming!).

What do you find most rewarding about coaching Division I tennis, and what keeps you motivated season after season?
This is a great question. I think in another life I was an architect. I like building things. Coach Short, Coach LaLance, Coach Buck and others started to build the tennis program at Middle Tennessee. I feel like I have been able to add to it and build upon their great success. I hope that one day, someone will say Coach Jimmy Borendame helped build Middle Tennessee in the same way or same sentences that we say Coach Short, Coach Buck and Coach LaLance have. I love my life and I don’t even think of what I do as a job. I am motivated by continuing to add things to the program. It’s a just a drive I have inside of me. I am a competitive junkie, so as long as they allow me, I will keep competing. I just love my job.

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This story is dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Emily Farmer, not only one of the greatest tennis players in the Murfreesboro area, but a wife, mom, grandmom, great-grandmom, friend and one of the kindest, most loving people ever. She was instrumental to hundreds over her life of 87 years.