When Stephen Vorhees accepted the Director of Racquets position at Sugar Mill Country Club, he was coming home.
After nearly five decades in tennis, including coaching over 150 junior players into college programs, traveling nine months a year on the professional circuit, and leading tennis operations for the entire state of Florida, Stephen wasn’t sure what came next.
He'd retired from the sport he loved but was itching to get back on the court.
When a position opened at Sugar Mill, a club in the beach town he and his wife had always dreamed of calling home, he applied. Just a few weeks into his role as Director of Racquets, Stephen is already reshaping what it means to be part of the racquets community here.
Stephen's coaching background reads like a highlight reel. One of his students reached the finals of the Australian Open junior doubles at 17. Another became the number-one ranked player in Mexico.
But he doesn't lead with trophies. He leads with trust.
"The most important thing is they have to have fun," Stephen says. "If they don't enjoy themselves, they won't continue playing. First, you find the fun and fall in love with the sport. Once they do that, then I can develop them."
If you're picking up a racquet for the first time, or you’re an experienced player, Stephen adapts his teaching to what you already bring to the court. He doesn't believe in a one-size-fits-all method. Instead, he works with what you have and builds from there.
Some coaches operate with a "my way or the highway" mentality. Stephen has ten different ways to explain the same concept, searching until he finds what clicks for you.
Stephen arrived with a calendar already taking shape. Seventeen events are scheduled for 2026.
He's launching a full group lesson schedule with evening clinics, junior programs, and weekend opportunities for adults. On Saturday mornings, he's introducing a free "Learn and Play" pickleball clinic from 8:00 to 8:30 AM, designed to get beginners comfortable enough to join members for open play immediately after.
When prospective members visit, Stephen introduces himself, walks them through the programs, and connects them with current members who share their interests. That sense of belonging starts before the membership application is even signed.
Stephen is also working to establish Sugar Mill's presence in the Volusia County tennis and pickleball leagues. During his third week, he hosted the league coordinator and assistant to meet with members and discuss forming teams. By January, Sugar Mill expects to field two to three pickleball teams—bringing outside players to the club and raising the profile of what's happening on these courts.
Year-round programming accounts for Florida's seasonal rhythms. Stephen has planned a summer sports camp combining tennis instruction with pool time and lunch, giving parents the freedom to play golf while their kids are engaged. Holiday camps will run during Christmas, Thanksgiving, and spring break. Evening events take on the cooler months when outdoor activities feel less like endurance tests. Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day will feature smaller socials to keep the courts active even during the heat.
"The only way this club's going to grow is if we all work together," he says. "When people come here and see that we're a family, that we're a team, this place will grow like crazy."
For Stephen, the drive from his current home to Sugar Mill takes an hour and 20 minutes each way. He makes it daily. He's working to change that commute soon, planning to move closer to the town he and his wife fell in love with on their first visit.
In the meantime, he's building something here—a program where beginners feel comfortable taking their first swing, where competitive players find the challenge they crave, and where connection happens as naturally as a rally.
Stephen is paving a path where members find their place, their people, and their pace through the racquets program at Sugar Mill.