Ian Froman is one of six founding members of the Israel Tennis Centers (ITCs) and ITC’s Israel countrywide program. Froman conceived the idea for the ITCs in 1973, and within a year, met four Americans—Rubin Josephs, Harold Landesberg, Dr. William Lippy, and Joe Shane—and English tennis star Angela Buxton, who agreed to secure the necessary funds and sites to make the dream a reality.
In the summer of 1976, a 14-court Tennis Centre was opened at Ramat Hasharon. It would be the first of what now is 12 centres throughout the State of Israel—Arad, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Beersheva, Haifa, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Kiryat Shemona, Ofakim, South Tel Aviv, Tiberias, and Ramat Hasharon.
A Johannesburg dentist who “made aliyah” (immigrated to Israel) in 1964, Froman has devoted all his time to the establishment and development of the Israel Tennis Centres. A longtime tennis enthusiast, Froman represented his native South Africa in Davis Cup competition and at Wimbledon.
Since the outset, Froman accepted the hands-on responsibility for ITC’s program’s development. The ITCs have brought the world of tennis to 190,000 children since 1996, giving them an opportunity to not only enjoy a lifetime sport, but offering an environment of social integration among youngsters of a multi-cultural nation.
In presenting the Israel Prize to Froman in 1989, Israeli President Chaim Herzog stated, “You have created a virtual social revolution throughout Israel.”
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