ITF

22 ITFWORLD SPRING 2016 USA's King Van Nostrand is the 2016 recipient of the ITF Seniors Award for Outstanding Achievement. Sandra Harwitt spoke to him about his lifelong love of tennis, and why he's still competing at nearly 82 years of age. W hen Kingdon (King) Van Nostrand followed his older brother to the tennis courts as a child his one goal was to be a successful copycat. "My brother Allan was three years older and was a tennis player, and whatever he did I did," Van Nostrand remembered. "He was my idol. Thank goodness he did good things and was nice enough to take me along on most of his sporting outings." Needless to say, the farthest thing from King's mind at the time — not even imaginable in his wildest dreams — was the thought that one day, when in his eighties and with an overall 32 ITF Senior World Champion titles to his credit, he would receive the 2016 ITF Seniors Award for Outstanding Achievement. "Everything," said Van Nostrand, when asked what it means to receive such a ITF SENIORS prestigious award. "I can't tell you how proud I am to be recognised by the ITF. I just think it's amazing and I'm so proud of myself." Van Nostrand played USTA Eastern section junior tournaments until he was about 15 when he had to trade in summertime hours on the tennis court for a paying summer job. In college, he played tennis for Cortland State, a small, not-notable tennis school located in upper-New York State, where long and frigid winters kept the tennis season to a minimum. By his senior year in college, Van Nostrand was married to his wife, Yvonne, known to all as "Boots." Upon graduation he joined the US Navy, but immediately after fulfilling his military commitment the Van Nostrands returned to Long Island where he would beginning teaching mathematics at his alma mater, Bayshore High School. He also would become the school's junior varsity tennis coach — brother Allan, a history teacher, was still leading the way as the varsity tennis coach. During the summer months Van Nostrand would bolster his income by teaching tennis in the area. The Van Nostrands would soon become an avid tennis family with the arrival of four children — King Jr., John, Jane and Molly. Two of the four would go on to play pro tennis: John, who tragically was killed in a 1984 car accident while playing a Challenger tournament in Mexico, and Molly, who came through the qualifying rounds to reach the 1985 Wimbledon quarterfinals. "They all went to college on scholarship and loved the game," Van Nostrand said. "Everyone still plays, even our eight grandchildren. It's been terrific. Tennis bonds a family because we all have Seniors Van Nostrand in action at the 2011 ITF Super-Seniors World Championships in Antalya, Turkey 22 ITFWORLD SPRING 2016

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