Perkins Law Salutes the Richmond Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2017

It was a great honor (and a lot of fun) to serve as master of ceremonies at the induction ceremony for the Richmond Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2017 on Saturday night.  A sold-out audience filled the ballroom at the Westwood Club for an evening of dinner, cocktails, and tennis talk.  Richmond native and Hall of Fame member Rodney Harmon, a former top 60 ATP pro and now one of the top coaches in NCAA Division I tennis, gave an inspiring keynote address honoring the seven inductees and the RVA tennis community as a whole.   RTA President Bill Carli and Virginia Tennis Association President Tom Hood provided opening remarks to get the festivities off to a great start.

The highlight of the evening, of course, were the heartfelt introductions of the Class of 2017, offered by family, friends, and in a few cases, doubles partners.  Instead of formal acceptance speeches, I had the privilege of engaging inductees in a lively Q and A on stage.  The Class of 2017 includes:  Martha Beddingfield, Rachel Gale, the Country Club of Virginia, Sarah Townsend Harrison, Ron Charity, Joe and Shima Grover, and Bill Barnes.  Having gotten to know several of the inductees over the years, and knowing so well what they’ve contributed to the tennis community, it was a very special experience for me to be the first person to officially welcome each of them into the Richmond Tennis Hall of Fame.  A job well done by the Richmond Tennis Association…yet another reason why Richmond remains one of America’s Best Tennis Towns!