George Rodriguez is the new men’s and women’s tennis coach at Calvin University. A graduate of Ferris State University, Rodriguez spent the past three seasons as women’s tennis coach at George Washington University, an NCAA Division I school in Washington, D.C.
(Photo by Amanda Impens, Calvin University marketing communication)
George Rodriguez has been named the new head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Calvin University.
Rodriguez comes to Calvin after spending the last three years as head women’s tennis coach at NCAA Division I George Washington University. Prior to his stint at George Washington, he was the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at NCAA Division II Fresno Pacific University for two seasons. He also served as assistant and later had a brief stint as interim head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Grand Valley State University.
Rodriguez originally hails from Fresno, Calif., where he was mentored and coached by Hall of Fame coach Peter Smith. He is no stranger to West Michigan, however, and considers the area his home.
Rodriguez spent his first two years collegiately at Reedley College in California, where he ended playing No. 1 singles his second year. He then transferred and graduated from Ferris State University in 1998 with a degree in Professional Tennis Management. At Ferris State, he was a two-year member of the men’s tennis program. As a senior, he lost only one singles match and helped the Bulldogs capture the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men’s tennis title.
After graduating from Ferris State, Rodriguez worked as a tennis professional at East Hills Tennis Club in Grand Rapids. He later became the head tennis professional at Norton Pines Tennis Club in nearby Muskegon. He then worked in the private business sector before accepting an assistant tennis coach position at Grand Valley, where he worked with both the men’s and women’s teams. After his tenure at GVSU, he served as the Director of Tennis at Premier Athletic and Tennis Club in Grandville.
He accepted the Fresno Pacific head women’s tennis position during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. His first women’s tennis team in 2021 went on to finish 7-10 and win two matches at the PacWest Tournament.
In his second season at the helm, FPU introduced a men’s program that showed a great deal of success in its first year as a team full of all freshmen. The team found their way into the PacWest Tournament as the No. 8 overall seed.
The women’s team in 2022 had its most successful season at the Division II level, going 16-10 and finishing third at the PacWest Tournament, qualifying them for the NCAA DII West Regional. The team finished the season ranked No. 33 nationally.
Rodriguez then moved from the West Coast to the East Coast in the summer of 2022 as he accepted the head women’s tennis position at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
At George Washington, he led the women’s tennis team to 21 victories. His 2023-24 team finished with a cumulative 3.88 grade point average, the highest GPA of any GW athletics team that academic year. In addition, three of his women’s tennis players have earned All-Atlantic 10 honors during his coaching tenure.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the Calvin athletics program,” said Rodriguez. “I am grateful to (Director of Athletics) Dr. Jim Timmer and the search committee for extending this opportunity. For me, Grand Rapids feels like my home. My wife is from Battle Creek and I spent many years in the West Michigan area developing bonds and friendships. I love Dr. Timmer’s vision and goals for the Calvin athletics program. Those goals align with mine.
“There is a strong tennis tradition at Calvin that goes back many years. My goal is to continue to build on that tradition and create something special that will last for years to come.”
Timmer echoes those thoughts from Rodriguez.
“We are thrilled to have George join the Calvin athletics program,” Timmer said. “He has a great range of tennis experience and he knows what it takes to develop student-athletes. He aligns with our mission as a Christian liberal arts university and we feel he is a perfect fit to lead our men’s and women’s tennis programs forward.”
Rodriguez takes over a Calvin tennis program that saw its women’s team finish 14-6 overall this past season with a fourth-place league finish while its men’s team finished 12-9 overall and in third place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Rodriguez and his wife Deb, have a son Sebastian who will be a high school freshman next fall.
Rodriguez comes to Calvin after spending the last three years as head women’s tennis coach at NCAA Division I George Washington University. Prior to his stint at George Washington, he was the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at NCAA Division II Fresno Pacific University for two seasons. He also served as assistant and later had a brief stint as interim head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Grand Valley State University.
Rodriguez originally hails from Fresno, Calif., where he was mentored and coached by Hall of Fame coach Peter Smith. He is no stranger to West Michigan, however, and considers the area his home.
Rodriguez spent his first two years collegiately at Reedley College in California, where he ended playing No. 1 singles his second year. He then transferred and graduated from Ferris State University in 1998 with a degree in Professional Tennis Management. At Ferris State, he was a two-year member of the men’s tennis program. As a senior, he lost only one singles match and helped the Bulldogs capture the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference men’s tennis title.
After graduating from Ferris State, Rodriguez worked as a tennis professional at East Hills Tennis Club in Grand Rapids. He later became the head tennis professional at Norton Pines Tennis Club in nearby Muskegon. He then worked in the private business sector before accepting an assistant tennis coach position at Grand Valley, where he worked with both the men’s and women’s teams. After his tenure at GVSU, he served as the Director of Tennis at Premier Athletic and Tennis Club in Grandville.
He accepted the Fresno Pacific head women’s tennis position during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. His first women’s tennis team in 2021 went on to finish 7-10 and win two matches at the PacWest Tournament.
In his second season at the helm, FPU introduced a men’s program that showed a great deal of success in its first year as a team full of all freshmen. The team found their way into the PacWest Tournament as the No. 8 overall seed.
The women’s team in 2022 had its most successful season at the Division II level, going 16-10 and finishing third at the PacWest Tournament, qualifying them for the NCAA DII West Regional. The team finished the season ranked No. 33 nationally.
Rodriguez then moved from the West Coast to the East Coast in the summer of 2022 as he accepted the head women’s tennis position at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
At George Washington, he led the women’s tennis team to 21 victories. His 2023-24 team finished with a cumulative 3.88 grade point average, the highest GPA of any GW athletics team that academic year. In addition, three of his women’s tennis players have earned All-Atlantic 10 honors during his coaching tenure.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the Calvin athletics program,” said Rodriguez. “I am grateful to (Director of Athletics) Dr. Jim Timmer and the search committee for extending this opportunity. For me, Grand Rapids feels like my home. My wife is from Battle Creek and I spent many years in the West Michigan area developing bonds and friendships. I love Dr. Timmer’s vision and goals for the Calvin athletics program. Those goals align with mine.
“There is a strong tennis tradition at Calvin that goes back many years. My goal is to continue to build on that tradition and create something special that will last for years to come.”
Timmer echoes those thoughts from Rodriguez.
“We are thrilled to have George join the Calvin athletics program,” Timmer said. “He has a great range of tennis experience and he knows what it takes to develop student-athletes. He aligns with our mission as a Christian liberal arts university and we feel he is a perfect fit to lead our men’s and women’s tennis programs forward.”
Rodriguez takes over a Calvin tennis program that saw its women’s team finish 14-6 overall this past season with a fourth-place league finish while its men’s team finished 12-9 overall and in third place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.
Rodriguez and his wife Deb, have a son Sebastian who will be a high school freshman next fall.
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Open Swim at Zeeland Rec
Cool off from the summer heat by taking a dip in the pool at Zeeland Recreation.
Family summer open swim at Zeeland Recreation will run through July 28, and then resume again on Aug. 11. Open swim is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Cost is $3 per person.
There will be no open swim July 28 through Aug. 9 due to recreation pool closures for annual maintenance and cleaning.
Family summer open swim at Zeeland Recreation will run through July 28, and then resume again on Aug. 11. Open swim is available on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Cost is $3 per person.
There will be no open swim July 28 through Aug. 9 due to recreation pool closures for annual maintenance and cleaning.
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Athletes with Disabilities to
Compete at Hartford Nationals
The Hartford Nationals conducted by Move United, the largest and longest-running national sport championship event for athletes with a physical disability, visual impairment, and/or intellectual disability, will take place in Grand Rapids starting Friday and continuing through next Thursday.
A first for the city and only the second time in Michigan, the competition is hosted locally by the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC) and Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports.
New to the competition lineup this year is boccia. Other contested sports include archery, para powerlifting, paratriathlon, shooting, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair and para standing tennis.
Athletes competing must have qualified through one of more than 35 sanctioned competitions that took place across the country throughout the Move United member network, a national governing body, or high school athletic association sanctioned event. In 2024, 397 athletes with disabilities and more than 150 coaches from 34 states and the District of Columbia participated, with those numbers expected to increase this year.
“This national competition has been a stepping stone for many athletes to progress and compete at an international level, including the Paralympic Games,” Move United chief executive officer Glenn Merry said. “In fact, 62 percent of the athletes that represented Team USA at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris either competed at this event or participated in another Move United program or event.”
The local organizing committee is spearheaded by the West Michigan Sports Commission, who competed through a nationwide bid process to host the event in 2025 and 2026, with support from Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports.
Local venues hosting competition events throughout the week include Calvin University’s Gainey Athletic Facility (track & field), Calvin University’s Venema Aquatic Center (swimming), Mary Free Bed YMCA (archery and para powerlifting), Millennium Park (paratriathlon), MSA Woodland (boccia, shooting, opening and closing ceremonies), and MVP Athletic Club (tennis).
“It’s an honor for the region and state to host The Hartford Nationals in Michigan, and we are excited to showcase our many athletic venues, including our state-of-the-art Mary Free Bed YMCA, as competition sites for this prestigious event,” West Michigan Sports Commission President Mike Guswiler said.
“Our organization is no stranger to Olympic-style sporting events, regularly hosting the Meijer State Games of Michigan plus the USA Masters Games, State Games of America and Transplant Games of America in the past. We are thrilled to partner with Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports to now host this multi-sport event that allows hundreds of athletes with disabilities to compete on a national stage.”
During the event, The Hartford - joined by Paralympic gold medalist and wheelchair basketball player Matt Scott - will surprise a group of four athletes with custom-fit adaptive sports equipment. In addition, one athlete, nominated by their peers, will receive The Hartford’s Human Achievement Award. This honor recognizes an individual who exemplifies the spirit of the adaptive sports movement and serves as a role model to others. The award includes a $2,500 grant to support the recipient’s training and travel as they pursue their athletic goals.
In addition to the competitions taking place, clinics and educational sessions will include sports such as sitting volleyball, adaptive judo, para pickleball, wheelchair softball, and tennis. Paralympic Gold Medalist Daniel Romanchuk and Susannah Scaroni will also lead a track clinic and Tatyana McFadden, one of Team USA’s most decorated summer Paralympic athletes of all time, will participate in activities throughout the week. Other Paralympic athletes, such as Rudy Garcia-Tolson, Amanda McGrory, and Bobby Body will serve as announcers during competition.
