Written By

Dan DeBenedittis

For the past 24 years, I’ve lived a life of dual dedication: a committed police officer serving the Broomfield community and a passionate racquet sports professional with a lifetime on the court. My career, deeply rooted in the standards of the Racquet Sports Professionals Association (formerly the USPTA), is a powerful example of community service, coaching innovation and a genuine love for the game that transcends the net.

 

The First Love: A Pharmacist and a Wooden Racket

My tennis journey began with a simple family “dispatch.” I was 10 years old on a sunny afternoon when my Aunt Joanne, a retired pharmacist, introduced my four siblings and me to the sport. It was like herding cats, but she managed to get us all moving. She handed us charmingly old-school wooden rackets, and we were hooked. I didn’t know it then, but she was essentially handing me a lifetime sentence of chasing yellow balls.

That seed flourished in high school thanks to my English teacher and varsity coach at Montbello High School, Flo Wagner. I played all four years and fell deeply in love with the game. My wife of 34 years, Patricia, still jokes that the yellow ball was my “first love.” I tell her she’s right—technically, I did meet tennis before her, but not by much.

Shortly after high school, I turned that passion into a profession by earning my certification. Since then, the court has been my second home, and I’ve been a fixture in USTA leagues for more than 35 years.

 

A Family Legacy

My coaching ethos is simple: give back. I’ve always believed good coaching should be accessible to everyone, whether that means a full clinic or a free, three-minute “field interview” on grip basics for a newcomer.

Seeing that generosity bear fruit within my own family has been my greatest reward. My youngest daughter, Sofia, followed in my footsteps. After I served as an assistant coach for her high school team—where I managed to stay on her good side most of the time—she went on to excel in college and began teaching at Denver Tennis Park.

Watching her grow under mentors such as Ed Anderson and Mike Phillips has been incredible, along with Ginger Phillips, who was instrumental in certifying Sofia as an RSPA professional. Sofia has also been guided by long-standing mentors like Taryn Archer, past president of USTA Colorado and a Hall of Fame inductee known for decades of leadership in growing the game across the Intermountain region.

Today, Sofia proudly carries the family torch as instructional development program manager and Advantage Kids lead coach at Denver Tennis Park. Recently, she and director Ken Tronco were selected to implement the USTA’s coach development program—a moment of generational validation that makes me incredibly proud.

 

Embracing the New Court: The Code 4 Pickler’s Cup

As much as I love tradition, I know a coach has to adapt. Three years ago, I reluctantly dipped my toes into pickleball. My verdict? I’ll never replace tennis—but if I can’t be on a tennis court, pickleball is my go-to.

This shift in mindset mirrors the evolving mission of the RSPA. The association recently rebranded from the USPTA to the Racquet Sports Professionals Association with a clear goal: to place a certified professional on every court—whether that court is for tennis, padel, or pickleball. The RSPA is pushing professionals to become multisport leaders because the industry is no longer about a single game; it’s about the communities racquet sports build as a whole. Now, with the emergence of TYPTI, I see a natural bridge from pickleball into tennis.

In the line of duty, this open-mindedness has been a game-changer. Pickleball has proven to be an ideal way to get colleagues moving. Over the past three years, I’ve taught the basics to about 40 police department staff members, from “slick-sleeve” rookies to the deputy chief. Coaching the deputy chief requires a very specific kind of diplomacy—I call it “protective coaching.”

I even hosted a round-robin tournament for the Broomfield Police Department called the “Code 4 Pickler’s Cup.” In police jargon, Code 4 means “everything is under control,” though my overhead smash might suggest otherwise. We had 10 competitive doubles teams and zero arrests. It was such a success that we’ve formed a police department pickleball committee and already have two tournaments on the books for 2026.

 

The Grand Vision: Green Valley Racquet Association

My biggest project to date began with a conversation with Sofia about her school programs at Denver Tennis Park. When she mentioned a program at Green Valley Elementary, I reached out to my longtime friend Brian Kennedy, who has served as the school’s dedicated gym teacher for 25 years.

With Brian’s deep roots in the community, we decided to start a recurring tennis program together. With 20 rackets donated by Denver Tennis Park, the program quickly took off. Parents and Green Valley Elementary staff members, including front office team member Karina Cardenas, jumped in to help, along with Raul Hernandez, a former student of Brian’s who recently earned his USTA Coach Level 1 certification.

After completing our second successful season with 20 enthusiastic participants, Brian and I knew it was time to think bigger. We decided to form a community tennis association. Through a Facebook post, we connected with Glen Bailis, a former Northglenn High School coach who joined our “unit.” After a meeting with Kristy Harris of USTA Colorado, we officially founded the Green Valley Racquet Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Our goal is to resurface local tennis courts, establish leagues and build a healthier future for the Green Valley Ranch community—while also developing pickleball infrastructure, as the area currently has no courts.

Full Circle

Life has a way of coming full circle. This year, Aunt Joanne—the woman who “served” me my first racket—gave me a wooden racket to commemorate that first lesson 45 years ago. In return, I had the joy of giving her first pickleball lesson in West Palm Beach, complete with her own new paddle.

Seeing her smile reminded me of why I do this. I look back on my life, the gifts God has blessed me with and the friends and family who have joined me on this journey, and I’m filled with gratitude. Whether I’m wearing a badge or coaching racquet sports, my mission remains the same: keep growing the family, have fun, laugh often and keep everyone Code 4 on the court

 

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