Tennis Everyone?
Edmond is home to a Power Couple in the Tennis World: David and Lisa Minihan. They met at a tennis championship over 20 years ago, and since then have spent their careers working together in the tennis industry. They are foundational to many metro-area and nation-wide tennis activities.
David was the teaching pro at Westwood Tennis in Norman in the late 1990s. When he and Lisa married, she also took a job at Westwood—where they both worked happily for two decades. “When our daughters were born, they grew up in a playpen in the pro shop,” Lisa said. “All the customers knew our girls.”
After 21 years at Westwood, and years of commuting from Edmond where the girls attended school, David and Lisa had the opportunity to switch facilities. “I loved Westwood and wasn’t looking to leave, but three years ago, the opportunity to be the director at Kickingbird Tennis Court opened up. I saw the plans for the new Edmond complex they planned to build, and I felt I would regret it if I didn’t give it a shot,” David said. “I put the decision in God’s hands and took the job when it was offered.”
Lisa, meanwhile, was thriving as a tournament coordinator and winning national recognition. She took a job at the neighboring Oak Tree Tennis Courts. Instead of competing, the two Edmond facilities work together to share their indoor and outdoor courts. This has allowed Edmond to host larger tournaments, and it has also allowed David and Lisa to continue working together.
The new Edmond Tennis Center, a 30-court tennis center in partnership with Edmond Public Schools, is scheduled to open in early May, with David as the director and Lisa as the contractor managing the tournaments. “We are working long days, but we’re so excited about the future of Edmond tennis,” David said. “We are excited that the new facility increases our resources to grow that sport,” Lisa said.
The Minihan’s daughters, Aspen and Chloe, have also embraced the family business. Aspen is involved in high school tennis, and Chloe plays tennis in middle school. Both are active in their parents’ foundation, Play It Forward, which helps under-served and special-needs children experience tennis. At the new facility, having more indoor courts offers increased opportunity for children with compromised health and temperature needs to try tennis. Following in the family’s service-minded footsteps, Chloe started her own foundation called “Attire for a Smile,” raising money to buy head-to-toe outfits for children serviced by the Hope Center.
“It’s been a blessing to raise our family in a tennis environment, and we are excited about the future of Edmond tennis,” Lisa said.
To learn more, visit www.playitforwardedmond.com or www.kbtenniscenter.com.
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