Darryl Cummings “Friends of Tennis” Fund

In Coach Darryl Cummings’ Memory, the Darryl Cummings Friends of Tennis Fund will support prospective collegiate tennis players globally, growing the game of tennis in the Hamptons Roads Community, and at Darryl’s Alma Mater, Old Dominion University. 

[Darryl] doesn’t talk to talk; he walks the walk. He doesn’t just give his treasure. He doesn’t just give his talent. He doesn’t just give his time. He gives it all.
— Jamie Bordas, President of the YMCA Board of Directors
I have seen many coaches come and go, and Darryl sticks out in my mind as one of the great difference-makers I have known in our sport.
— Bobby Bayliss, Retired Notre Dame Men’s Tennis Coach
He epitomizes what a coach should be—someone who is concerned with all aspects of his players’ improvement and development, on and off the court.
— James V. Koch – Old Dominion University Board of Visitors Professor of Economics and President Emeritus
He made ODU a national tennis power and his players went on to play in the Slams. A true innovator and leader, the game of tennis is better because of Coach Cummings.
— Luke Jensen – 93 French Open Champ
Darryl Cummings grew to be an icon of tennis, but he came from humble beginnings, learning the game as I did on the public courts in Norfolk, Virginia. This is one reason he always felt obligated to give back to the game we all love so much and why so many of us want to continue his legacy by contributing to the Darryl Cummings Friends of Tennis Fund.
— Roy Beskin, 1993 Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame Tennis Inductee
Darryl was everyone’s best friend. I looked forward to every time we spoke, as if we hadn’t spoken in years. His energy and passion for life was contagious and made everyone feel like the most important person in the world.
— Trevor Short, Cofounder of The Necker Cup & Inspiring Dreams
He always knew what to say, in his own way. He was a genius coach who loved and appreciated his work. He believed in me from the first minute he saw me on the court! Thank you Darryl! You were not only a big part of my professional career but also an advisor for so many other things in life and the most important, a very good friend who I will miss forever.
— Tzipi Obziler, Career-High No. 75 in the World, National Clay Court Champion, Former Israel Fed Cup Captain, Old Dominion Alumna
Darryl Cummings lived and breathed tennis. He brought the entire Hampton Roads community together over the game of tennis. He made a profound impact on the ODU Men’s and Women’s Tennis Programs and this endowed scholarship in his name will ensure that current and future ODU tennis players will remember Coach Cummings and his legacy.
— Jena Virga, Executive Director, Old Dominion Athletic Foundation