Legendary collegiate coach Dave Fish was awarded the Tennis Educational Merit Award by the International Tennis Hall of Fame earlier this month during the USTA Celebrating Community Champions virtual event.
The Tennis Educational Merit Award is presented annually to “a man and woman who has made notable contributions in the tennis education field at the national level and have demonstrated leadership and creative skills in such areas as instruction, writing, organization and promotion of the game of tennis.”
When accepting the award, Fish shared the importance of being a lifelong learner about the game of tennis. He attributes his passion for learning and volunteering to his first experiences with tennis — attending USTA clinics.
Watch Coach Fish accept his award below!
Between his four decades of coaching and his service with the ITA, Fish has made a lasting impact on college tennis.
During his 42 seasons at Harvard, Fish posted a record of 702-319-1 — a mark that solidifies him as the winningest men’s tennis coach in Harvard history. The ITA recognized Fish as the ITA Coach of the Year an outstanding four times. In 2014, Fish was awarded the ITA Meritorious Service Award presented by ConantLeadership. He was inducted into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame with the 2019 class.
In addition to his contributions in coaching, Fish served for many years as a member of the ITA Board of Directors and the Division I Operating Committee. Fish was a frequent speaker at ITA Coaches Conventions. He continues to advance the sport by touting the importance of tennis education.
