The Keller facility that features indoor and outdoor tennis courts offered camps from early June through July. Spearheading the effort will be the husband-and-wife duo of Taylor and Jenny Dent as well as Taylor’s father, Phil Dent.
In terms of tennis acumen, the three were among the best in the world, and now they are teaching the next generation of tennis players.
Phil, a native of Sydney, Australia, was ranked as high as No. 12 in the world—in 1977—and won doubles titles at the U.S. Open and Australian Open.
Taylor, the president of the facility, was a tennis star at a young age. Both of his parents played professionally, and his mom, Betty Ann Stuart, was a U.S. Open finalist. Taylor represented the USA in the 2004 Olympics—placing fourth in Athens, Greece.
His wife, Jenny, who is the CEO of the facility, was also a pro tennis player. She played on the Women’s Tennis Association tour for seven years and reached as high as No. 52 in the world.
The family moved from California to Texas in October 2020 to open The Birch, which features 15 total courts—and room to grow.
“I think actually Texas is a sleeper tennis state,” Taylor said. “We came out there, and people thought it would not do well, but we know the business, and we saw how many tennis players there were based on our research.”The Dents saw the now-closed Shelingham Tennis & Swim Club for sale while searching for a place to buy in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“We started getting familiar with all the towns, and that is what brought us to Keller,” Jenny said.
The facility was built from scratch, and there is room to expand the future with plans for a clubhouse and another indoor tennis court.
For now, the Dents are soaking in the relationships built from coaching.
There is a full-time academy at the location giving future tennis pros a chance to learn from the Dents, mixing in school work and tennis. Players that have came through the program have gone onto numerous Division I programs. The focus is to develop a players’ game on the court, as well adding in physical therapy and nutritional counseling.
“We really get to witness and participate in people building some really strong, lifelong, lasting relationships,” Taylor Dent said.
