(September 24, 2012) -- David T. Porter, Ed. D., of Laie, Hawaii, who has been involved in teaching tennis for more than 35 years and has been a USPTA member for more than 25 years, received the United States Professional Tennis Association’s Alex Gordon Award for the Professional of the Year.
Porter was recognized during the USPTA’s annual awards breakfast at its World Conference on Tennis. The USPTA, the world’s oldest and largest association of tennis-teaching professionals, hosted its annual World Conference Sept. 16-21 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in Monterey, Calif.
The professional of the year is judged in seven areas, including: contributions to USPTA and USTA; as a teaching professional, player and coach; education, research and publications; organizational affiliations; and contributions to the community.
Porter, who is a USPTA Master Professional, played collegiate tennis for Brigham Young University, a top 20 Division I program. Porter graduated with Ed. D., M.S. and B.S. degrees before beginning his tennis-teaching career.
He has been very committed to the USPTA. He has been a Head Tester since 1988 and has served on the National Board from 1994-2007. This included serving as the national president from 2003-2005. In addition, he has served as the chairman of the education committee and the chairman of the testing and certification committee. He has also been a speaker at numerous USPTA divisional conventions and national conferences.
He is currently the head tennis coach at Brigham Young University – Hawaii. Porter has an impressive record of 1,193 wins and 145 losses over his college coaching career, and he has never lost a conference match in women’s tennis during his entire career. His BYU – Hawaii women’s team is the three-time Pacific West Conference champions (2010, 2011, 2012). He has also taught/worked with several nationally ranked players, including Zheng Jie, ranked No. 15 in the WTA, Yan Zi, ranked in the top 100 in the WTA and Li Na, ranked top 10 in the WTA.
Porter has written several articles for China Tennis Club Magazine and ADDvantage Magazine. Also, as the chairman of the USPTA Player Development Advisory Council, he consulted and edited “The Six General Performance Components of Tennis.”
He is currently on the HEAD Penn Racquet Sports Advisory Committee and Nike China Advisory Committee. His previous accolades include Hawaii Division Pro of the Year (2004, 1995), USPTA College Coach of the Year (2003, 2002), Hawaii Division Tester of the Year (1997, 1994), and Hawaii Division Hall of Fame Inductee (1985).