Bremen HS grad enjoying his life of tennis
MISHAWAKA - This was not Brad Foster’s dream job. In fact, it wasn’t anywhere on his radar, even as late as his college graduation day.
But here he is, at the start of his second year as the head tennis coach for both the men’s and women’s teams at Bethel University.
“If you would have told me after graduation that I was going to be a coach or teach tennis, I would have laughed,” said Foster, a 2013 Bremen HS grad, who majored in communications and minored in psychology while completing his bachelor’s degree from Bethel (’18).
After completing his playing eligibility, Foster helped out as a volunteer assistant coach for almost two years, basically because tennis had become a big part of his routine and he wasn’t ready for it to end. Sure, his competing days were over, but this way he could still play with his friends and former teammates. At the end of that first year, the head coach at the time started to cut back on some of the travel due to other obligations and Foster took on the role of acting head coach during some road trips. When the real head coach decided to officially step down at the end of the season, the longtime Director of Tennis decided to do the same.
“I think they wanted me to transition into the job. I don’t know if they interviewed anyone else, then I got the call,” said Foster about how he ultimately ended up as the new head man. “My first thought was, ‘This is a good opportunity.’ My second thought was, ‘Do I really want to do this?’ I talked to a lot of people and they were very supportive. Bethel has been my home for seven years and it has kind of made me who I am, so I thought it was time for me to give back.
“It’s been challenging and a lot of work, but it has been worth it. My first year I had three players that I had played with. It’s been good though. The age difference between our coaching staff now and what it was is a big gap. We have brought some young eyes and thoughts to the program.
“Bethel has been great. They have given me free reign and they trust us. The athletic department has been behind us and really given me the chance to make some changes. I had the unique experience of playing here and there were some things that I thought could be done differently. Not that is wasn’t positive when I played. It’s a good program, but I thought it had a lot more upside to it if a couple of new things were done. I got to see the little things that could be improved (as a player). Tennis is evolving, so coaching and teaching need to also. Bringing in a new regime of sorts has been good. It’s tougher for more older, more established coaches to change and it’s harder for the players to have a say, but I’ve been adamant that if something needs to be done differently, we’ll listen and make the change. The players have responded incredibly well to it, which is something I’m blessed with.”
Besides the major promotion, Foster also took on a larger role teaching tennis at the South Bend Racquet Club and Knollwood Country Club.
“Tennis has taken over my whole life,” laughed Foster of his unforeseen professional life revolving around the game. “My day-to-day is teaching tennis to adults and high school students, then I also get to coach college players.”
Foster was no child tennis prodigy by any means. He had only picked up a racket a couple of times before his freshman year of high school, but eventually made varsity as a sophomore, and was the Bremen Lions’ No. 1 player by the time he was a senior.
“I put a lot of time and effort into it once I realized how much I loved it,” said Foster, who played for coaches Andrew Rohde and Mark Wagner.
When he matriculated to Bethel, Foster wanted to tryout for the team, but was realistic of his chances to play for the Pilots.
“I wasn’t recruited and did not expect to ever make the lineup,” he added.
He practiced and improved, but didn’t play in the lineup until junior year. Initially, he was part of the No. 3 doubles team (out of three), then played singles at the Nos. 5 and 6 positions as well (out of six). His senior year was about the same.
Now part of his job is finding the next potential players for the Pilot lineup and knows he doesn’t have to look far.
“I like to do local recruiting, but I’d like to have some international players as well,” said Foster of his recruiting philosophy. “If I can help make a dream come true for someone to come to the US and play tennis, I’ll do that even though that hasn’t been a big priority at Bethel. Local recruits are the core though.”
Two of this year’s freshmen are Plymouth HS products Kyla Heckaman and Audie Plothow. Looking ahead, his old stomping grounds could be a fertile recruiting location.
“They are looking good, but I’m not surprised,” Foster said of the current Bremen HS boys program, which played in the semi-state for the first time in school history this fall. “(Head coach) Kevin Hickman is a good friend of mine. I talk to him a lot. He’s a great tennis player and knows what he’s doing. That’s a good group.”
The Bethel men’s and women’s teams are now on a break until after Christmas when work for the spring season will begin in earnest. And leading the way will be the familiar face of Foster.
“The fall of ’13 was when I started at Bethel and I haven’t left since.”