Some know him as Coach, others as Tennis Dave, while most just know him as Dave, but no matter what name he’s called one can bet the conversation will turn towards tennis at some point.

Dave Schwartz, 38, of Stevenson Ranch, has been teaching tennis since he was in college and needed money, but his latest endeavors have taken him from teacher to advocate, striving to bring the sport that has brought him so much to children everywhere.

“It’s a lifestyle,” said Schwartz referring to tennis.  “Everything in my life is related to tennis, even my license plate is tennis (spelled min10is).  Its all I talk about.”

Schwartz helped establish the Community Tennis Association of Santa Clarita Valley to promote tennis by partnering with community groups and city agencies.

The CTA, an all-volunteer organization, started in 2005 and filled the gap left when another tennis organization closed up shop.

Schwartz, who serves as the President of the CTA, says they offer team and league play to children so that parents don’t have to travel so far to get their kids involved.

“Parents would have to travel more than 50 miles to get their kids to play in groups like this,” said Schwartz.

The association serves children ages 4-18, but hopes to expand to include adult play as well.

“Because courts are so limited here and how expensive it is to rent high school courts, we have to limit it to kids for now,” Schwartz says.

The CTA recently partnered with the City of Santa Clarita to host the first ever Tennis Jubilee, a free event complete with exhibition matches, demo courts, and Hit for Prizes.

“We had a lot of people attend, it went well,” said Schwartz.

Schwartz’s passion for tennis comes from his years as a tennis instructor.  This job has taken him around the world, even allowing him to teach tennis in the Bahamas.  Currently he teaches more than 75 students at various courts in the Santa Clarita Valley, offering everything from basic stroke mechanics to advanced techniques.

He recently had four of his students hold the number one and two spots in doubles interleague play in the Hart District.

“It was tough because I went to the games and I wanted to support all of them,” he says.

Schwartz has big dreams for tennis in Santa Clarita, he hopes to one day open a training facility.

“My dream is to have four covered tennis courts in the SCV,” said Schwartz.

For more information on the CTA click here.