Family Circle Tennis Center's Lenny Schloss honored

The University of Tennessee Tennis Hall of Fame recently extended its numbers, welcoming in Lenny Schloss, Hal 3in1 Director at the Family Circle Tennis Center, and three other lettermen.

In order to be considered for the Hall of Fame, these men had to be an All- American, win an SEC or NCAA title, and have a degree from the University of Tennessee. Schloss was a four-year letterman from 1964 to 1967, was UT’s first All-American, and won two SEC singles titles. He was recruited to the University of Tennessee by Tommy Bartlett, coach of the team at the time, who is also honored in the Tennessee Hall of Fame.

Schloss reflects on the day he met with Bartlett, "Tommy said, if you can beat me, I’ll give you a scholarship," Schloss remembered. "I beat him and I became the first tennis player to ever get a full ride at Tennessee."

Schloss helped the Vols to an SEC title in 1966 with his victory in both singles and doubles. He was captain of the team in 1967; that year the team finished sixth in the NCAA.

Schloss also teamed up with Tommy Mozur (also inducted into the Hall of Fame) to reach the fourth round of the NCAA Championship in doubles. In the Hall of Fame Tournament in Newport, R.I., Mozur and Schloss lost to Dick Dell and Dick Leach in what is still believed to be the longest doubles match in history, spanning two days, and lasting 6 hours, and 10 minutes. The match was featured in Sports Illustrated and the Guinness Book of World Records. At the time, Schloss told Sports Illustrated, "I hope we’re not remembered by that match. After all, we lost." Today, however, they are still remembered for that match which went down in tennis history; not for losing but rather for their dedication to the sport, and their astonishing careers.

Schloss currently lives in Mount Pleasant and is still very passionate about tennis. In fact, he created a breakthrough technology, the Hal 3in1 system, which simultaneously trains the eye while teaching the strokes. Schloss said "I am amazed how this method of learning affects every level of play from professionals to beginners; it is truly remarkable."

Schloss is planning on expanding the program which is currently available at the Family Circle Tennis Center, to schools around the Charleston area, starting with the downtown area. "I feel that the more recognition the program receives, the more it can help people," says Schloss. He is also planning on bringing the program back to his former stomping grounds at the University of Tennessee, with hopes of turning them into the number one ranked team in the country.

The Hal 3in1 system is endorsed by hundreds of tennis pros. It is a nationally award winning program and has been tested as a proven success with over 15,000 students nationwide. Schloss is convinced that the program can improve even the best tennis player’s performance.

Though Schloss spoke highly of his recent trip to Tennessee and being honored in the Tennis Hall of Fame, this is actually not the first time he has been inducted into a Hall of Fame. In the 1970’s Schloss became the first tennis player ever inducted into Tennessee’s Athletic Hall of Fame. However, Schloss said at the time he was so caught up in pursuing his career that he didn’t have a chance to let it sink in. This time around it was different. "I felt a sense of personal pride, and I truly appreciated the recognition," explains Schloss. When asked if he was thinking of hanging up his racket anytime soon, Schloss just laughed.