Copyright The Philadelphia Inquirer
Fred Perrin still hits the tennis court with the same amount of zeal he had when he was competing in the sport. Maybe that’s because at age 62, he’s still playing — and winning. Perrin, the head coach of the tennis program at Jefferson University, recently competed on the United States Tennis Association circuit and received an invitation to the USTA’s national tournament for players 55 years and older. “I love the competition. I love the fact that a tennis tournament is something where, if you get in, nobody can take you out. If I play a sport such as baseball, I got to get put in. I [have to] play well. I [have to] be able to impress the coach to be able to stay in. Tennis was one of those great things, where as long as I can compete, I can stay in,” Perrin said. Perrin has competed in tennis matches since he was a child. But that’s what happens when you grow up in a family full of tennis players. “My parents were both tennis players … and my dad was a tennis pro at the local park. [The love for tennis] developed as a whole family; my grandparents, my uncle, everybody played,” Perrin said. “What happened is in the summers of the 1960s, tennis was very hard [to play] in Florida, so [my] dad took a job at Philmont Country Club in Huntingdon Valley in 1965 and became a summer pro for five summers,” Perrin recalled. “In 1970, he got some investors and we built up our own country club [Mill Creek Tennis Club] in Feasterville, Bucks County. “What an opportunity for me to be able to play as much tennis as I want … but I think that’s really where it all started. I have two younger sisters [who] also play, and it’s been a great family experience owning a club and seeing where it can take you in this game.” » READ MORE: Former Inquirer sportswriter Joe Juliano is among 2025 inductees to Big 5 Hall of Fame That opportunity turned into gold, as Perrin has built quite the resumé when it comes to tennis. He originally attended the University of South Florida, won the Florida Intercollegiate singles title, and was a Sun Belt Conference champion in doubles. He’s also played professionally on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour and reached 296th in the doubles world rankings, and was ranked 655th in singles. He ranked as high as No. 35 by the NCAA in singles and was ranked No. 1 in the USTA national men’s amateur rankings for doubles, while peaking at No. 4 for singles. Before college, Perrin was a young prodigy, participating in the Junior U.S. Open and winning three state medals at Neshaminy High School in Langhorne, where he’s been inducted into the school’s hall of fame. He’s still doing the same thing he did as a kid, but for more nationally recognized organizations with some of his closest friends. » READ MORE: As Big 5 women’s basketball teams hit the court, we answer your burning questions “About three and a half years ago, my friend Rick Hoffmann, who is the tennis director at the Cherry Hill Health and Racquet Club, said, ‘You should try and get involved in this USTA league,’” recalled Perrin. “And I knew about them, but it was a little bit of a commitment, especially if you make it to nationals, because you have to pay your own way to get there. He asked me to do it, and we qualified and went to Orlando. It was such a good time being with my friends and around the game.” When he isn’t competing, Perrin is sharing his expertise with athletes at Jefferson. The hope? They can get the same opportunities he’s been afforded. “It’s really a lot of the things I learned [in college, at junior nationals, and on the pro tour] I bring to our team to help fast-track them to be better players,” Perrin said. “They all can play. It comes down to more strategy. “A tool is like you have a forehand, but there are 10, 15, to 20 different forehands you can hit. My dad always explained to me that it’s like a hammer. You have a general hammer, but then you have a sledgehammer and a finishing hammer, all of these different types. You may not need it for the match every time, but when I need it, I have to know that I own it and can do it. So that’s really where I think I bring most of my experience.” Despite being at Jefferson for only two seasons, the amount of love and support Perrin has received has made it feel like a lifetime. “I’ve been a teaching pro [tennis] most of my life, and the last club I was at was up in Doylestown — they closed almost four years ago for a housing development,” said Perrin. “I was at a bit of a crossroads. I had been teaching for so long and was looking for something else. “Jefferson allowed me the opportunity to jump back into a competitive program and ultimately be given the head coaching job, which has been a blessing. I thank Jefferson every day for changing my direction, and I look forward to continuing to bring my experiences and grow our program to get into a much higher level, and compete at the national level.”
