Director of Tennis – Aruna C Bernier
The director of tennis, Aruna C Bernier is a PTR (Professional Tennis Registry) certified tennis “PROFESSIONAL” with 15 years of coaching expereince, currently still competing in the USTA tennis and going to Nationals with her Wilco Breakers Austin tennis team in October 2015! They will be playing at the 4.5 level starting this fall!
Please click on the left side bar menu items to see coach Aruna’s credential’s.
Professional – PTR Professional has successfully completed all five sections of PTR’s certification test with a grade of Professional on all sections, has an NTRP of 4.5 or higher (ITN-5), is 21 years of age or older, and has at least three years full time (or five years part time) tennis teaching experience.
Born in Kathmandu, Nepal, Aruna’s love for tennis grew in her early teens.
Being a late bloomer starting tennis at the age of 13 years old, did not stop her. Only 3 months after picking up a tennis racket, she went on to participate in the ITF (International Tennis Federation) tennis tournaments worldwide. It was very scary and intimidating at first but very quickly it turned into a lot of fun, through the win’s and losses.
Her dad traveled with her everywhere and he was a strong support system, which really allowed her to enjoy the game and she really went on to love it.
Aruna was granted full scholarship at the Akagi Tennis Academy in Japan in 1984 after being spotted by the Japanese tennis coach, during an ITF tournament in Bangladesh after he learned she had been playing tennis for only 3 months.
She held the National Number One title in her home country in Nepal and held International Tennis Federation (World ITF computer ranking points) ranking points for 1987, 1988 and 1999 competing worldwide.
April 25th, 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hits Nepal, Aruna’s birth country where her mother still lives. Numerous aftershocks follow!
With the help of family and friends, neighbors, Aruna immediately starts a Texas Non Profit Organization, ArunasNepalRelief.org and gets to work. US donors, most all friends, neighbors, Austin smalls businesses, friends from her tennis connections, including her own tennis students start donating. Her son’s school, Murchison Middle school with her neighbors help collect 6 suitcases full of relief supplies. By June she and her son are on a plane with donation funds and relief supplies with several aftershocks still hitting the country. They accomplish their short term goal successfully despite numerous hurdles and come back to the US safely with her mother.
Having been involved in donating to numerous causes throughout her life time, Aruna took a mad dash, last minute fund raising undertaking in full panic mode, for the first time in her life.
To learn more you can go to the link “Blog” at www.arunasnepalrelief.org where you will find her day to day journal with photos and videos that show how she and her son distributed all relief supplies and donors money, hands on!
October, 2015, Aruna goes to Nationals Championships in Palm Springs California with her amazing Wilco Breakers USTA women’s tennis team!
Aruna came to the US and got her BA in Fine Arts and communications from Luther College, in Decorah, IA. She played (6th, 4th and 1st singles), for the Luther College Women’s varsity tennis Team and coached high school and younger children during summer camps.
Alongside a career in Graphics and Web Design, Aruna has been teaching for almost 15 years, after getting her PTR “Professional” degree certification from Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in 1993.
“Everything I have accomplished to this day throughout my tennis career is credited first to my parents encouragement and guidance. This was the most influential factor.”
“A very close family friend, whom I called, Hem uncle, taught me the ABC’s of tennis in Nepal.
Great credit goes to all the coaches, in Japan – Akagi San, Luther College – Su Oertel & Van Der Meer Tennis University- my guru Dennis Van der Meer, for the training and motivational skills they provided me.”
“tennisbuddys, for me has been a dream come true, this is what I love to do and it is so fun and rewarding. It has been possible because of my wonderful husband and son’s never ending support and encouragement.”
“I find myself fortunate to be able to tap into two of my passions, tennis and multimedia design, both in which I have extensive career experience.
tennisbuddys allows me to do something I love with a passion and at the same time allows me to be able to spend a lot of quality time with my family.”
December, 2015, Rally Gals WTTA doubles tennis team and Aruna goes from Flight 1 to Championship level. Aruna and doubles partner won 8 out of 10 matches for the team!
Tennis is a wonderful sport, that can be molded to suit you personally. It is fun whether you pick it up for recreational or competitive purposes. Anyway you choose to play this game, once you fall in love with it, the health benefits continues for life.
Everything in life starts from 0 / Love, so whether you are a beginner or advanced doesn’t matter as much. What matters is, how much do you start to love the sport itself enough, to pursue it on a daily or weekly basis and reap the benefits of it.
Correct teaching methodologies and a fun and sound environments, are keys to acquiring a love for any sport. Once this happens you want to go out and play repeatedly just because now it is fun. This becomes a mental and physical health benefit for a lifetime.
Not only does tennis teach you how to play the game, but it teaches you valuable traits of life’s : camaraderie, respect, teamwork, accepting wins and losses graciously and learning from both, court etiquette, interaction and communication skills, socialization and so much more.
Any sport is a healthy way of living and should be incorporated in every individual’s lifestyle.
Aruna: “How has tennis helped me personally?”
Tennis has become my life line! It helps me to stay fit mentally and physically and makes me strive to not just to work hard, but also play hard on and off the court! Through out life’s ups and downs when I play, I am able to work a sweat and clear my head, get a good workout and always feel good. When I am happy I make others around me happy and tennis has allowed me that through out my life! When I teach, its a sense of feeling like I am making a difference and giving back to the community, whether its juniors, adults, beginners, competitive players, student with health problems, they are all there outdoors with me learning, enjoying and having fun. No matter what their goal is, they have learned to embrace a sport like tennis that they can play for life. Tennis is a healthy lifestyle whether you take it up for competitive reasons or for recreational reasons! The connections I have made through tennis since the day I picked up a tennis racquet to current day has been astounding. Its a network of family and friends that I have gained that have become lifelong friends!
