Tennis Coaching Legend Tom Gullikson Brings His Expertise to Five Seasons Northbrook

Whether it's coaching some of the top tennis players in the world or youngsters who have only recently started in the sport, Tom Gullikson has the same steadfast approach: focus on character development, and then let the player's game flow from that foundation.

"That's the core of my coaching philosophy," says Gullikson. "You teach character first and then tennis. Tennis without character doesn't work too well."

A new generation of youngsters on the North Shore are learning from that and other pieces of wisdom. Since early October, Gullikson has been providing tennis instruction at Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Northbrook.

Well into the mid-1980s, the Wisconsin native was a top doubles player on the professional circuit with his identical twin brother, Tim. He then embarked on an illustrious coaching career. During that span, highlights have included serving as the United States Davis Cup team captain from 1994 to 1999 and the U.S. Men's Tennis coach at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, where Andre Agassi won the Gold Medal.

Most recently, Gullikson has served as head of Team USA, in the Men's Pro Division with the United States Tennis Association. The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level.

Gullikson, who is serving as a contractor to the club, was aware of Five Seasons' top reputation, in part because it became a USTA Certified Regional Training Center in 2013. In addition, he holds the instructional staff in high regard.

"They run an excellent program and have helped develop a lot of the top junior players in the area over the years," said Gullikson. "I like the instructors personally, and how they go about their business."

Gullikson's focus has been instructing 12- to 18-year-old boys and girls in the club's High Performance program.

Over Five Seasons' 15-plus years of existence, a recurring theme voiced by junior players at the club is the collaborative coaching support they receive. In Gullikson, Five Seasons provides a seasoned voice who provides big-picture conceptual coaching as well as nitty-gritty tactical counsel.

Not only are the young players at Five Seasons learning from Gullikson, but the staff are benefiting from his perspective, said Chris Sheldon, Five Seasons Northbrook's Director of Racquet Sports.

"We're excited to have Tom bring his expertise to the club," said Sheldon. "He is one of the best all-time tennis coaches and we all have been learning from him."

There is ample common ground shared by the world's top players and youngsters striving to develop their game on the North Shore: a love for the game, and a desire to improve. An indispensable quality, above all others, is what Gullikson calls "the coachability factor."

"You have to always be open to improving yourself," he said. "These are really good kids who are extremely coachable. It's a fun stage of life to be working with."

Five Seasons is the premier year-round high-energy, high-touch sports club focused on family leisure and entertainment, improving sports performance and maintaining overall health.

For more information, please call Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Northbrook at 847-897-5030 or visit the club at 1300 Techny Road. Online: http://www.fiveseasonssportsclub.com/northbrook/