I am honored to write this letter for Coach Holub, my high school tennis coach and one of the most impactful mentors in my life. While he is an incredible coach on the court, what truly sets him apart is the way he shapes us as people. He doesn’t just teach forehands and footwork. He teaches resilience, discipline, and character.

Coach Holub brings unmatched enthusiasm to everything he does. Whether it’s a 6 a.m. practice every single day before school (which he doesn’t have to do) or a long tournament day, his energy never fades. He shows up fully every single day, and that consistency pushes us to do the same. His grit is contagious. When we’re down in a match or going through a tough stretch in the season, he reminds us that toughness isn’t about never struggling; it’s about refusing to quit. Even during our most recent tournament the only reason I took gold was because of his support and advice during a time of struggle for me. Because of him, I’ve learned how to compete with heart and how to handle adversity with composure.

What makes Coach Holub truly special, though, is how deeply he cares about his players. He sees us as more than athletes. He checks in on us academically, asks about our lives outside of tennis, and genuinely listens. He has a way of making every player feel valued and important, whether you’re playing first singles or cheering from the sidelines. He celebrates our wins, supports us through losses, and always reminds us that our worth isn’t defined by a scoreboard. That kind of care builds confidence, in myself and my team.

Personally, Coach Holub has helped me grow in ways that go far beyond tennis. He’s taught me how to stay disciplined when things get hard, how to lead by example, and how to hold myself to a higher standard. The lessons I’ve learned from him will stick with me long after my final match.

Any program or organization would be incredibly fortunate to have Coach Holub. His passion, integrity, and genuine love for his players make him not just a great coach, but a truly great human being.

Sincerely, Adithya N. Valadictorian Paetow HS Class of 2025 Texas A&M Business Scholarship Recipient class of 2029

_______________________________ Application to Texas A&M Question was who had the biggest influence on your life in high school and why?

The person who has most impacted my life is my private tennis coach, Karl Holub. I met Karl the summer before my sophomore year of high school when I was looking for a coach who truly cared for their students. Unlike most coaches, who simply fed balls and corrected form, Karl went deeper than that. He believed that cultivating a strong mental game would help me outperform people superior to me in skill. Karl would listen to my internal struggles, and then one day he handed me a few books that addressed exactly what I was facing. The Inner Game of Tennis minimized my anxiety and helped me trust in my natural abilities, while Mindset shifted my focus from always trying to win to always trying to improve. His lessons transformed not just my game, but my entire outlook. In school, I began to value opportunities to learn instead of the grades I received. When I faced issues with friends or mental health, I relied on the focus that Karl instilled in me, tuning out distractions and showing up fully in the moment. Whether during a test, a tennis match, or when supporting others, Karl's influence helped me perform to the best of my abilities. Karl’s care and dedication shaped me into both a better tennis player and a stronger person. I will always be grateful for the blessing it was to meet him, and I know I would not be who I am today without his influence.

Emme C Fighting Texas Aggie class of 2029.

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Question Who are the most inspiring people in your life? One of the most inspiring people in my life is my tennis Coach. Coach Holub became much than a coach to me he became a friend and mentor who I knew I could talk to about almost anything. Whether I was struggling with tennis, school, or just something going on in my life, I always knew I could go talk to him One thing he really pushed me on was developing a strong and firm mindset. He would always give me books to read and told me they would help me become a better tennis player and a better person sometimes. To be honest, I never really thought books would help me much but they did and I'm very grateful I still have Coach Holub in my life when I need him I just reach out and say hi. I know he will help me in a positive way to make good decisions. Pratchit P- Paetow Class of 2025 Fighting Texas Aggie class of 2029

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We are writing to recommend Karl for a tennis coaching position. Over the past year, Karl has

worked privately with our son Andrew, who plays on the JV tennis team at Memorial High

School and we have been extremely impressed with the impact he has had on Andrew from

both the physical and mental parts of the game.

Prior to working with Karl, Andrew's tennis game was much more reactionary and passive.

Karl quickly recognized areas where Andrew could see significant improvement and helped him

develop a more aggressive, confident mindset on the court. In a relatively short period of time,

we have witnessed Andrew becoming more assertive and confident in his overall game.

Karl’s coaching has extended beyond just his tennis instruction. He has taken a genuine interest

in Andrew personally and has focused equally on developing the mental side of the game. He

has encouraged him to read books on strategy, competition, and mindset and also discusses

the importance incorporating these lessons into his game. This coaching has helped Andrew

improve not only as a player, but also in his confidence and maturity off the court.

We would highly recommend Karl as tennis coaching coach and mentor. From what we have

seen, not only is Karl knowledgeable about the game, but genuinely cares about helping young

athletes improve both on and off the court.

Sincerely,

Robert and Jill B Andrew is Memorial High School Class of 2027

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Karl Holub is the primary tennis coach for my son, Owen Richmond. Owen is a sophomore at Houston

Memorial High School and is on the school tennis team. Karl has been coaching Owen 1 to 2 times per

week since the fall of 2024.

Owen’s tennis game has drastically improved while under the instruction of Karl for the past year and a

half. Karl has taken the time to thoroughly assess Owen’s skills and has carefully and methodically

improved every aspect of his tennis game.

Karl offers up a tremendous amount of feedback and advice with every tennis exercise that is worked on

within a lesson. While most other tennis pros that we have worked with in the past have always just

focused on fundamentals, Karl has taken the time to address the mental and strategy aspects of Owen’ s

tennis game as well, not just the fundamentals.

Karl’s approach to teaching Owen the game of tennis is presented in a manner that I feel resonates with

high school age players. Karl’s calm method of teaching on the court allows Owen to effectively absorb

the information. In addition to the on-court instruction, Karl will often supply Owen with instructional

tennis or mental strength videos or even books relevant to what they are currently working on. This

allows Owen to continue to study the game outside of the on-court lessons. Again, this is something

we’ve never been offered with other tennis pros.

Karl always checks in with Owen when he knows he is playing in tournaments and helps Owen navigate

the mental ups and downs of being a year-round tournament tennis player on a very competitive high

school team. This aspect also was always missing with other tennis pros.

Karl has also been extremely good at communicating with me as a parent every step of the way. I have

never been at a loss as to what is going on with Owen’s tennis development. I feel Owen has been

extremely lucky to have received Karl’s coaching and mentoring over the past 1.5 years. I would strongly

recommend Karl to anyone for developing high school age tennis players!

Regards,

Jason R Owen is class of 2028 Memorial High School

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