Slamstox is proud to announce the new addition of the Slamstox team, none other than former student-athlete Guus Koevermans. Guus was one of the first Slamstox athletes to leave for America and therefore already has a strong connection to the organization. Are you curious about Guus’ story? Then check out the short article below or check out his video!
Why tennis?
Ever since he was a kid, Guus was active on the football field and the tennis court. But, as soon as football became very physical, he decided to completely focus on tennis (and school) when he was 14 years old. The love for the game did not come as a surprise, as his father Mark is a former professional who has played with other professionals like Paul Haarhuis. Therefore, Guus wanted to follow in his footsteps.
After graduating high school, Guus chose for the life of a full time tennis player. Despite the fact that he was looking forward to this his whole life, he came to understand that it is difficult to become a well established pro as a teenager.
Choosing for San Diego
The step of going to college came at the perfect moment. ‘’High level tennis, San Diego, palm trees, sunny weather everyday, studying for a bachelor, how can you say no to this?’’ Was on Guus’ mind.
After arriving at the campus of the University San Diego, he felt at home right away. The school and location were beautiful, and the team consisted of people loving the game of tennis. After 4 years of living the dream with his teammates, he did not only gain experiences for life, but also made friendships that last forever. Being a student-athlete allows you to build very special relationships.
Start of a coaching career and joining Slamstox
After a couple tough injuries, Guus had to end his tennis career in the States a little too early. For this reason, he joined the team as a coach during his 4th year, and wished to pursue this career also after college. Thus, he moved back home after his time in San Diego to coach his sister Anouk on the WTA tour. She did well as a youth player in the Netherlands, and together they wanted to give her professional career a chance! After 2 amazing years of traveling around the world for tournaments, she was ranked within the top 700 of the world. ‘This was a fantastic experience in which we both learned so much’, says Guus.
In January, Guus started at Slamstox as the college tennis Manager. He really enjoys being involved again with college tennis, and helping future student-athletes!
