Lori Thornton
Lori Thornton has been serving the Las Sendas community as director of the tennis program since 2010, and she encourages adults interested in the sport to participate in a variety of clinics, competitive teams and workshops she and her staff conduct.
In addition to the adult offerings, future tennis champions ages 10 and under will work with the QuickStart program. Implemented by Lori, this program specializes in keeping younger students encouraged by teaching tennis on modified courts, with smaller nets and tennis balls. With this scaled down approach, the young students will thrive. Hopefully, they will stay involved and excited about the sport well into their teenage years and young adulthood, where they will have the opportunity to compete in United States Tennis Association tournaments.
As the tennis programs expand during the fall months, the goal is to branch out, offering opportunities for students by implementing new workshops, including injury prevention and doubles strategy, which is an area in which Lori specializes.
Certified with the United States Professional Tennis Registry, Lori has been coaching tennis at Las Sendas for 14 years. She enjoys teaching young students, as well as adults, a skill they can carry with them throughout their entire lives.
Lori’s students carry their skills well into adolescence, many playing with the Red Mountain High School tennis team. “Coaching these kids from a young age forms a bond more than just coach and athlete,” Lori said. “It is a mentorship, and it becomes a lasting friendship.”
Lori speaks highly of the benefits of tennis. She believes the sport develops a set of skills not only physically and athletically, but tennis also instills discipline, determination and motivation, which young adults implement in their everyday lives and helps them succeed academically and in their careers.
When they were young, Lori also coached her daughters, Taylor and Devyn. Taylor went on to play tennis at the college level in Denver, Colo. She currently is working on her professional doctorate in Scotland, and has made the tennis team at the University of Edinburgh. Older sister Devyn also competed at the collegiate level as a member of the Acrobatics and Tumbling Team at the University of Oregon.
The apples don’t fall far here. Lori, her daughters and her mother make up three generations of women who continue to play tennis and thrive.
While she has always been an athlete, excelling in gymnastics and equestrian sports at a young age and well into college, Lori says she began her career late in life. Specifically, Lori was in her mid-20s when her mother encouraged her to play tennis. She dove right in, falling in love with the sport, and working hard at mastering it and playing at a high level.
Adding to her prestigious accomplishments and vast knowledge associated with tennis, Lori also is certified in Speed and Agility Training with the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
In addition to the tennis events at Las Sendas, in the coming months, watch for guest speakers and collaborative efforts to support local animal rescue shelters.
For more information about the upcoming events associated with Las Sendas Tennis, visit the website at tennislassendas.com. You also can contact Lori directly at lori.trailhead@gmail.com.