Fransua Rachmann has made an impact as the tennis coach at the North Bay Granite Club.
“When I was in grade 5 my life was transformed when I began playing tennis at the North Bay Granite Club and was introduced to Fransua Rachmann, my coach,” said one local player.
This brief quotation is but one excerpt from several detailed submissions supporting the nomination of Fransua Rachmann as this year’s recipient of the Al Brennan Memorial Trophy for Coach of the Year.
Rachmann was born in South Africa where, in 1996, he started his own company instructing individual and group tennis lessons to children and adults; as well as organizing clinics and tournaments.
Rachmann has been coaching ever since – serving tennis communities in London, England; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and for 8 years in Dubai, United Arab Emirates where he would meet his wife-to-be with family roots in North Bay, Ontario.
Since 2012, Rachmann has been involved in administrative and Tennis Professional roles at the North Bay Granite Club where he has applied his over 25 years of experience, a diploma in Sport Psychology, and a designation as a Tennis Canada Club Professional to help tennis participation nearly double through the expansion of tennis leagues, instructional programs, camps, teams, and progressive tennis opportunities for children as young as four-
years-old.
A former top-25 player in the United Arab Emirates, Rachmann continues to compete, is a multiple-time Northern Open champion, and is currently ranked number one in Canada for Men’s Doubles at the 5.0 playing level.
Further to being North Bay’s most gifted tennis player of the past decade; Rachmann is the architect of North Bay’s next generation of tennis talent successfully pursuing varsity tennis, joining tennis academies, and climbing the Ontario Tennis Association rankings. Even tennis players from neighbouring cities travel to North Bay for lessons with Rachmann, who also makes appearances at the Sudbury Indoor Tennis Centre in the winter months.
Beyond his technical expertise, Rachmann is a favourite coach among North Bay’s youth and parent community for the quality of his character and contagious passion for the power of sport. Famous for having a remarkable memory, Rachmann impresses several school groups at the courts each spring as he sends balls across the net while rhyming off a class list of names by the end of an hour-long session.
It’s one of the many superpowers that serve Rachmann not only as a tennis instructor, but as a role model for many young people on and off the court.
Rachmann will receive his award at the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame’s 43 rd Annual Induction and Awards dinner to be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Tickets are available by calling Larry Tougas at 705-303-8104, Trista Grant at 705-472-0009, the Davedi Club at 705-474-4190, or by contacting any Board member.
