L-R: CHAD DYER AND DANNY CAMACHO.
Chad Dyer, former HP Assistant Tennis Professional, was promoted to Director of Tennis & Pickleball on October 12 last year, succeeding long time director Mike Lawver who retired after over 24 years at the helm. On January 1, Tennis Professional Danny Camacho was promoted to Head Tennis & Pickleball Professional.
Chad was hired on August 18, 2023, having coached almost 30 years in central Kentucky. He worked with over 100 juniors who went on to play Division 1 tennis; Chad coached over 100 USTA teams.
Danny was born 25 years ago in Ibague, Colombia. In his elementary school years, he also attended music school where he learned to play the guitar, flute, and violin. With his mom, Yolanda, and three brothers Wilfer, Diego, and Juan, he flew right to SW FL from Colombia to live in Heritage Palms with his stepdad, Felix, in July, 2011 when he was just 11 years old. His mom wanted a better opportunity and wanted to learn English. “My stepdad was already a citizen before we came which made it easier to come here.”
Danny started playing tennis at nine years old thanks to his stepdad. He began playing tournaments when he was 12 and won a couple of them. In his sophomore year at Cypress Lake High, his school went to the states and made it to the semifinals. Danny graduated in 2018.
He got his coaching at Gateway Golf and Country Club which has a big advanced junior program. I first got to know Danny when he filled in on weekend round robins at HP as a young teenager. He impressed us all then.
When Danny was hired here in June 2022, he taught the junior program and a few beginner clinics. In his new position, he teaches more clinics and has a few more private lessons. As second in command, he helps Chad with anything he needs, including running the tennis shop.
He likes to watch soccer and used to play a lot before he tore his ACL. He also likes wakeboarding which is like skateboarding, except one is pulled by a boat. His dream is to become a director of tennis and run his own tennis club in the future. “I really love working at HP where it doesn’t feel like a job and everyone is very nice,” he states.
Presently, he’s a junior at FGCU taking on-line courses with a major in Human Resources.
“Daniel is perfect for this job. He understands how everything works at HP because he was a member of HP for most of his junior life. All the members feel that he is part of the HP family,” says Chad.
Chad’s duties have also expanded. In addition to his on-court duties, he has a lot more behind the scenes responsibilities such as setting up teams at the end of the season, organizing socials and schedules for employees as well as other duties. “I feel like I’m part of one big family at HP.”
