Carl Schroeder Stats
Born 1960 in Palm Springs, CA
Resides in Indian Wells, CA
Men’s Tennis Coach at College of the Desert
Owns Photography and Video business
- Played #1 for College of the Desert in 1979
- Voted MVP the same year
- Went on to play the European professional circuits
- “Foothill Conference Coach of the Year” in 2002 and 2010
- Has lead Desert Men’s Tennis to 6 State Team and Ojai Championships since 2002
- Mentored top professionals such as Richey Reneberg, Dannie Vissor and Peter Aldridge
Compared to other kids, Carl started playing tennis relatively late at age 13. His dad was tennis pro at El Dorado Country Club and Carl must have inherited the “tennis gene” from him. He and hi friends used to sneak out to clubs and play tennis at night, until one day Dennis Ralston caught them at the Mission Hills Country Club. Ralston, who at the time coached Chris Evert and other tennis greats, offered them free tennis lessons in return for doing chores at his club.
Then it was John Faunce, one of Bobby Riggs’s friends, who offered them his tennis court and his teaching expertise in Hollywood. According to Time Magazine, Faunce used to “…hustle $20,000 to $30,000 every spring playing doubles with Bobby Riggs in Florida.” Faunce also had a condo in Carlsbad, CA, so he offered Schroeder to play with him and Pancho Segura and Bobby Riggs at La Costa Resort & Spa.
Subsequently, Schroeder began playing USTA Satellites and European Pro tournaments. Afterwards, his first real job was teaching pro at the Monterey Country Club from 1984 until 1990, followed by 5 years at the Palm Valley Country Club. In 1995 he returned to Monterey as Director of Tennis and stayed there for 11 years. In 2006 he became Director of Tennis for the Iron wood Country Club until 2010. Since 2002 Schroeder had coached the Men’s Tennis team of the College of the Desert, crowning his efforts with the team’s 2010 Championship.
Carl Schroeder loves coaching tennis at the 17-20 age group level. “When you see them win a match, it’s like winning a Super Bowl for you.” He loves to teach them how to adjust to varying conditions and still win matches. Schroeder’s students are quite fortunate living close to one of the world’s greatest tennis tournaments, the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Every once in a while the tournament is requesting their services for hitting with the professionals.
Schroeder says, “If you love to do it, you will become successful!” He also professes that nowadays parents often become coaches, which can turn into a nightmare for everyone. “What follows is kids are not happy; they are like machines out there.
10 Questions for Carl Schroeder
- If you hadn’t gone into tennis, where would you have gone in life?
Tennis saved my live. If I hadn’t gone into tennis I may have gone into Moto Cross. - If you retired today, what would you do?
I would be a tennis photographer - What is your favorite tennis book?
Andre Agassi’s “Open” - Why do you think British tennis players have such a hard time winning Grand Slams?
I think that the British put a lot of pressure on their players to win, Murray has beaten the best players in the world except in the Grand Slams. - What is your favorite tennis tournament?
The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. I was a ball boy the first tournament back in 1976 when it was the American Airlines at Mission Hills. I’ve attended it every year since then. That year in 76 Connors, Borg, Tanner, Laver, Ashe, Newcombe, Rosewall, Nastase, Smith, Lutz and more! - In Pro-Tennis, if you had the power to make a historic decision, what would you change today?
Take the net strap away and make the net the same height as the net post, I feel it would bring back the net rushers! - If you were able to start all over, what would you do different in regards to your tennis career?
Fitness is a huge part of the game, when I was playing pro tennis not many players trained off the court. So I would have done more weights and resistance training. - Are we in the USA doing the right things to develop future tennis champions?
No, I think we haven’t developed enough interest in tennis, compared to soccer, for instance. Tennis will come back but I think we got distracted by so many other sports. - What can the USTA learn from other countries’ tennis associations?
Take a child from a very young age and develop them all the way through. I think the USTA’s 10 and Under program is a very good step in the right direction. - Who is for you the greatest tennis player of all time?
Both Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.
Thank you, Carl!
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