Firethorne has been a client of Susan Farb Public Relations for five years and has a wealth of talented residents and staffers in the 1,400-acre master-designed community in Katy/Fulshear. I’ve had the good fortune to meet and work with several people there who have helped create this tight-knit, neighborly community, including a middle school competitive bicyclist, Madeleine McDuff, who trained for and participated in the National Junior Cycling Championships in California (Firethorne sponsored her local cycling team), a mom, Beverly Tucker, who helped raise the funds needed for the Woodcreek Elementary School playground cover to help protect children from damaging rays of the sun (her son has Alopecia Areata), and Fitness Center personal trainer Peggy Skaggs, who transformed herself from a size 16 to a size 4 and who went on to earn her certification as a personal trainer from the prestigious Cooper Institute in Dallas.
The newest addition to this Firethorne tradition is the new tennis coach, an ace on and off the tennis court! Resident athlete/sports coach Chris Dante didn’t even take up the sport until he was 30, after excelling in baseball (in 1988 he made it as far as the Olympic Trials), basketball (City University of New York team captain) and football, as well as boxing and Taekwondo (he has a black belt)!
“But after one too many broken noses, I turned to something less brutal — tennis,” said Dante, who helped launch Firethorne’s premiere tennis program this spring. With the new Women’s Tennis League and beginner tennis clinics now in full swing, Firethorne continues to demonstrate the Katy/Fulshear community’s commitment to fitness and competitive sports, through its hike and bike trails, swimming and running (Katy Triathlon at Firethorne), regulation lacrosse fields and personal training at the on-site exercise facility.
According to Firethorne Marketing Director Janet Burkett, the fact that Chris lives and coaches in Firethorne further illustrates the true spirit of community at Firethorne. “He’s more than a coach, he’s a neighbor and mentor and he is deeply committed to instilling in children the values of honor and virtue in sports competition.”
During the summer, Coach Dante offers two morning clinics for children (9 and 10 a.m.) and one 6 p.m. clinic for adult beginners. He also teaches private lessons. The tennis courts are open to Firethorne residents and their invited guests.
Dante worked as a coach at Iona College (Div. I) in New York and Providence College in Rhode Island. “At Iona College, I worked with Iona College Basketball Coach Jeff Ruland, an All-American out of Iona College who played in the NBA,” he said.
He approached John Brennan, tennis coach of the citywide champion St. Francis Preparatory High School in Queens, NY, to be his tennis coach and mentor. For the next three years, Dante played in tournaments all over New York City, He coached high school tennis in Providence, RI, before moving with his wife, Marina, and their three children to Katy, two years ago. He appreciates living in Katy because of the best schools and it is “a wonderful place to raise children. My wife loved Firethorne because it looked like ‘real Texas.’ I bought her dream house here,” he said.
“Coaching is a labor of love,” said Dante. “I love being outside with the kids — teaching and coaching them.” He also enjoys introducing many of their parents to tennis, as well as coaching baseball and football through his company, Sports Mania.
The four fully lit hard courts, Firethorne’s newest amenities, are located adjacent to the lacrosse fields in the development.
Firethorne, located 15 miles west of Houston’s Energy Corridor, blends the best nature has to offer: 150 acres devoted to parks and recreational amenities, a 12-acre lake with surrounding greenbelt, hike/bike trails, parks and playgrounds, discovery-rich wildlife observation area and a natural bird habitat. Served by the award-winning Katy I.S.D., Firethorne combines the vibrancy of West Houston with the small-town charm of Katy/Fulshear. To tour Firethorne, take I-10 West and exit Pin Oak to FM 1463, call 281-395-1440 or visit www.firethorne.info. # # #
Photo ID: Firethorne Resident Tennis Coach Chris Dante (center), who has helped launch Firethorne’s new tennis program, is on the court during a summer children’s clinic with residents (bottom/center, then clockwise): Boston Blake, Hannah Blake, Julian Martinez (far left with basket of tennis balls), Najee Boyd, Alissa Basaldua, Roel Martinez (hidden), and Jean Basaldua. Firethorne opened four new tennis courts this spring.
