Vic Braden facts for kids
| Full name | Victor Kenneth Braden Jr. |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | August 2, 1929 Monroe, Michigan, US |
| Died | October 6, 2014 (aged 85) Trabuco Canyon, California, US |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Turned pro | 1952 |
| Retired | 1955 |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2017 (member page) |
| Coaching career (20) | |
Victor Kenneth Braden Jr. (born August 2, 1929 – died October 6, 2014) was an American tennis player, teacher, and TV announcer. He earned a special degree in psychology. He was married twice and had two children, one grandchild, and three step-children.
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Vic Braden's Early Life and Tennis Journey
Vic Braden started playing tennis when he was 12 years old. He quickly became very good! He won three state championships in high school in Michigan. Because he was so talented, he received a scholarship to Kalamazoo College. He was also invited to play in big tennis events in places like River Forest, Illinois, and Milwaukee.
He once shared a story about how much he loved tennis. He hitchhiked all the way to Detroit just to watch famous players Don Budge and Bobby Riggs play. He wanted to see how Don Budge hit his backhand shot so he could learn from him.
Vic Braden graduated from Kalamazoo College. He was the captain of the tennis team there and won a major singles title. He later received an honorary doctorate degree from his college in 2008. Vic Braden passed away from a heart attack on October 6, 2014, when he was 85 years old.
Vic Braden's Tennis Career
After finishing college in 1951, Vic Braden became a professional tennis player. He also worked as an assistant basketball coach at the University of Toledo. Soon after, he was hired as the main tennis professional at the Toledo Tennis Club.
Besides teaching, he also played on the professional tennis tour. He competed against other great players like Jimmy Evert (who was the father of famous tennis star Chris Evert). In 1956, he moved to California.
In 1959, Vic Braden joined Jack Kramer's professional tennis tour. In 1961, he and Jack Kramer started the Jack Kramer Tennis Club in Palos Verdes, California. Vic helped build the club and sell memberships. He then became the head tennis professional there.
He even helped start the tennis career of future champion Tracy Austin. Vic Braden also created his famous "Tennis College" idea, which helped many people learn and improve their tennis skills. Jack Kramer once said that Vic Braden did more to make tennis popular than many champions.
What Vic Braden Accomplished
Vic Braden was involved in many important projects that helped tennis grow:
- He helped start the Vic Braden Tennis College in Kissimmee, Florida.
- He also helped start the Vic Braden Tennis College in St. George, Utah.
- He founded and directed the Vic Braden Tennis College in Coto de Caza, California.
- From 1986 to 1994, he founded the Vic Braden Ski College in Aspen, Colorado.
- He managed the Pro Tennis Tour from 1967 to 1969.
- He co-founded the Jack Kramer Club in Rolling Hills Estates, California, from 1961 to 1972.
- He taught at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Psychology Clinic from 1957 to 1958.
- He was the Head Tennis and Assistant Basketball Coach at the University of Toledo from 1952 to 1955.
Awards and Recognition
Vic Braden received many awards for his contributions to tennis:
- He was recognized by the USTA for contributing the most to tennis in America.
- He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Orange County Hall of Fame.
- He won the Coach of the Year Award from the USPTA.
- He received the ATP Children's Tennis Award.
- He was inducted into the USTA Midwest Tennis Hall of Fame.
- He received the Tennis Educational Merit Award from the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1974.
- He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2017.
Videos by Vic Braden
Vic Braden created many videos to help people learn about tennis:
- Vic Braden's 70 Minutes with Big Jake Kramer and Pancho Gonzalez Video
- Vic Braden's Biomechanics of Tennis Video
- Vic Braden's Strategy Video
- Vic Braden's The Backhand
- Vic Braden's The Forehand
- Vic Braden's The Serve
- Tennis My Way
Vic Braden's Other Talents
Vic Braden was a licensed psychologist. He was also an author, a sports educator, and a researcher. He worked as a cinematographer and videographer. He was also a sports and television commentator.
Books Written by Vic Braden
Vic Braden wrote five books with Bill Bruns. He also co-authored a book with L. Phillips.
- He wrote the introduction for the book High Tech Tennis (1992).
- He was a co-editor and photographer for Championship Tennis by the Experts: How to Play Championship Tennis (1981).
Featured in Media
Vic Braden was featured in Time magazine. His name was also mentioned in the book Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace.
Vic's Vacant Lot TV Show
Vic Braden hosted a short TV show called Vic's Vacant Lot. It aired from 1982 to early 1984 on ESPN and was rerun on Nickelodeon until May 1985. The show's idea was to have Vic Braden take a group of kids to an empty lot. There, he would teach them how to organize and play different sports using what they found around them. Even though the show didn't get a lot of attention back then, an episode was uploaded online in 2022 for people to watch!
