April 10, 2025

Ferris State Professional Tennis Management program honors performance science pioneer Dr. Jack Groppel as first hall of fame inductee

International and national leaders in the tennis and racquets industry will be recognized in a new hall of fame created by Ferris State University’s Professional Tennis Management program, with Dr. Jack Groppel honored as the first inductee.

“Dr. Jack,” as he is known in the tennis industry, has been a pioneer in the science of human performance since the mid 1970s. 

“We created the Professional Tennis Management Hall of Fame to recognize the people in this industry who make a difference and supported opportunities for students that lead to rewarding careers,” said R.J. Tessier, PTM program director. “Dr. Groppel in internationally known in the tennis world, and highly respected as a pioneer in the science of human performance and health.” 

Groppel was the founding chair of the USTA National Sport Science Committee from 1988 to 2003, has collaborated with world-class athletes from numerous sports, and has traveled the world to more than 50 countries teaching and coaching tennis for national federations, and athletes. 

Groppel’s groundbreaking work in tennis led him to conduct three Congressional briefings on worksite wellness, a United Nations event on the role of physical activity in preventing and lowering the incidence of noncommunicable diseases of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity, and to represent the entire worksite wellness industry alongside the U.S. Surgeon General in the historic call to action on walking and walkable communities. 

 “I am incredibly honored and humbled at this recognition by such a prestigious organization,” Groppel said. “I have always been amazed at the curriculum of Ferris State’s PTM, the internships created for their students to get hands-on experience, and the incredible work that their alumni continue to do.”

Ferris State’s PTM was created in 1986 and was the first 4-year program to receive accreditation from all the certifying bodies in the United States. Its innovative curriculum and practical internships serve as a model for other programs in the tennis and racquet field. 

PTM students receive a bachelor’s degree in business – couple with a minor of their choice along with other national organization certifications.