Iron Range Icon: Dave Gunderson
Left to right: Ken Slagle, Al Logrono (Manager of the Club), Tom Prosen (Hall of Famer and Board member) and Dave Gunderson.
A member of the Minnesota State High School Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Dave Gunderson is passionate about racquet sports and his community. He spent three decades coaching the Virginia High School Girls’ Tennis Team, leading the Blue Devils to a handful of state tournament appearances, including a state title in 1989. Gunderson was also instrumental in the creation of the Virginia Indoor Tennis and Pickleball Club.
We caught up with the Iron Range legend and all-around class act.
Does your whole family play tennis?
I think that is one of the greatest things that has happened in my life. My wife began playing after we met, and then I coached my two children during my coaching career. Our teams were lucky enough to make it to the state tournament a number of times, and our family made some great memories with the school and the community.
I just sent my granddaughter her first tennis racquets! Maybe she’ll keep up the tradition of playing when she’s older.
How did you get into coaching Virginia tennis?
I actually was the head basketball coach at Gilbert High School my first year teaching. There, a guy by the name of Jim Prittinen talked me into giving coaching the girls tennis team a try. I told him I play tennis, but didn’t feel comfortable coaching it. Well, one thing led to another, and he and his father Bob talked me into coaching the girls and swore that they would help me. They did every year for the next 30-some years — truly a foundation of Virginia tennis.
I was lucky to have some of the nicest kids in school come out for the team. Kids I knew would be great role models for my own kids to look up to. If not for all those great kids in my early career that made it so fun for me and my family, as well as the support of our community, I might not still be doing what I’m doing and still loving it. In fact, my children have middle names of two of my former players that I thought were such great kids.
In 2021, you were inducted into the Minnesota State High School Tennis Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Can you tell me a little about that experience and its meaning?
The best part of that experience is that I went in with one of my best friends, Rick Engelstad from Pine City. Rick and I are really close friends, and I always thought it was so funny that our teams and communities always competed hard against each other.
Being elected to the Hall of Fame means that I've been around for a while, I guess. Thanks to our entire staff in Virginia and their commitment to the kids, I was lucky enough to earn that privilege. I think that the friends I’ve made through coaching over the years is my biggest reward.
A group of the 11 a.m. Tuesday Pickleballers at the Virginia Indoor Tennis and Pickleball Club.
Tell me about the Virginia Indoor Tennis and Pickleball Club and how you have been involved with that. How is it serving the community?
The Virginia Indoor Tennis and Pickleball Club is a hidden gem. It is a four-court facility that hosts high school tennis practices and matches, including regions, as well as college tennis matches, and it serves an area of around 60 miles for pickleball players. We give group tennis lessons for all ages and hold pickleball events throughout the year. We have a great Board of Directors and a great manager, Al Logrono, who took over for me when I semi-retired. All of them make the facility run well despite our limited budget. When we built the club, our main goal was to make it affordable to those that want to play, and that’s still the goal today.
I think that the best thing about the club is its members. When they walk through the door, it always puts a smile on my face. They have to put up with my silly “dad jokes,” but we have such terrific people that play here and it makes it so enjoyable.
Virginia is over 3 hours away from Michael Lynne’s. Worth the drive?
How can you not love this store? When you walk in, you are greeted with smiles and people that really know their products. Michael Lynne’s isn’t a big box store, and its employees give you wonderful service. It’s small and personable, kind of like our little club up north. I love the personal attention and the kindness that they show their customers. Like my father used to say, “it is so easy to be nice to people,” and the people of Michael Lynne’s are.
