Jennifer Gelhaus was four years into a molecular biology career, headed for a PhD, when she quit to coach tennis full time. No backup plan, no fallback.

Fifteen years later, she has built racquet programs at some of the most prestigious clubs in the country: Maidstone Club in the Hamptons, East Chop Tennis Club on Martha's Vineyard, Oyster Harbors Club on Cape Cod, and now The Club at Renaissance in Southwest Florida. She's also the host of the Vida Tennis Podcast, co-host of Power Players with the Directors Club of America, and the PTR's 2025 Young Professional of the Year.

In this conversation, we get into:

• Leaving Venezuela alone at 16 to play college tennis in the US
• The moment she walked away from a career in science
• What seven years at an elite Hamptons club before 30 taught her
• The communication system she says generates ten lesson requests per newsletter
• Why she thinks most club tennis directors don't treat the job like a business
• What it's like walking into old-school, tradition-heavy rooms as a young woman
• The biggest mistake new directors make in their first 90 days

If you run a racquet program or want to build a career in this industry instead of just a job, this one's for you.

ABOUT COURTSIDE
CourtSide is a podcast about the business side of racquet sports. Long-form conversations with the owners, directors, and head pros shaping tennis, pickleball, padel, and squash. Hosted by Evan Dechtman, founder of TopSpin Digital.

New episodes every two weeks. Subscribe so you don't miss one.

Want to be a guest? Book your spot: topspindigital.co/courtside/book
Email Evan directly: mailto:evan@topspindigital.co

Full show notes: topspindigital.co/courtside
TopSpin Digital: topspindigital.co
HEARD Digital Marketing: heardmarketing.io

CONNECT WITH JENNIFER GELHAUS
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennifer-g-561715a4