Robert A. “Allen” Gibson is an enthusiastic teacher of tennis technique, but he knows that learning the game is about a lot more than mechanics.
“My greatest accomplishment as a pro is the feeling that I leave with my students after they have completed a series of lessons,” Allen says. “They know that I have taught them truths that will last a lifetime, not just for tennis but for anything they choose to pursue.
“I enjoy the excitement that gets inside me when I see a great shot and know what it feels like knowing all the work that went behind the scenes to create that shot,” he shares. “My expertise is in my ability to read and translate tennis strokes into a moving picture for the student, so that the student can reproduce it naturally.
“I started earning money as a tennis instructor when people would come up to me and say, ‘I will give you $5 if you can teach me to do that serve,’ ” Allen recalls.
“Then my coach referred me to work for the city summer programs. I loved to play at IBM and then they needed instructors for their employee programs. And before I knew it I was making No. 1 freshman starters and open players by their sophomore year.”
Allen worked as a programmer with IBM in California and North Carolina for 13 years and as a McDonald’s restaurant manager in California for three years.
“All my previous work experience and education has been developed just to teach individuals the professional game of tennis,” Allen says.
“I am currently working on a goal to build a professional training facility in North Carolina, a state-of-the-art facility that can train professionals in all aspects of the business,” he says.
This Professional 2 member of USPTA now owns Do It Right Sports, in Cary, N.C.
In addition to the IBM Tennis Club, Allen’s previous places of employment include Glen Oaks Racquet Club, Santa Teresa High School, Holister High School, Evergreen Valley College, city of San Jose Parks and Recreation; Rancho Santa Teresa Club, and Oxford Hunt Home Owners Association.
Allen has played tennis since his freshman year in high school, competing in both singles and doubles in high school and college. He also has played on levels ranging from local tournaments to qualifying rounds in the Trans-American Open.
“I not only play and teach tennis, but I love volleyball, football and basketball,” Allen says. He also is an elder in his church.
“My greatest accomplishment outside the tennis industry is to raise a family of four (my oldest in college) and serve my fellow man through homeless shelters, food delivery services, fund-raisers, helping someone move, and giving someone a ride in time of need.”
