Five Seasons Burr Ridge Taps Highly Regarded Hinsdalean as Tennis Director

A longtime Hinsdalean with deep roots in the local tennis community has joined the staff of Five Seasons Family Sports Club in Burr Ridge as its new Director of Tennis.

Annette Cremin most recently was the Director of Tennis at Oak Brook Racquet & Fitness Club (OBRFC) in Westmont, one of the largest indoor tennis programs in the western suburbs. There she orchestrated the entire tennis program until the club closed at the end of May.

Cremin was attracted to Five Seasons, located just south of Hinsdale at 6901 S. Madison, because many of the OBRFC members wanted to stay together and Five Seasons had the capacity to serve as a new home for the many groups and teams from her prior club.

“My relationship with the members is a big part of what I have enjoyed about my job,” said Cremin. “I wanted to continue to work with them as well as the other tennis professionals who were attracted to Five Seasons.”

Also joining Cremin at Five Seasons is Chriss Schaefer as the Adult Tennis Director. Schaefer, a Hinsdale resident for 30 years, worked at OBRFC for 32 years.

“She is one of the most capable and experienced pros in the area and I know how much she can add to a tennis program,” Cremin said. “Plus, she is a great player and has worked with so many of the top amateurs in the area.”

A number of other pros from OBRFC came along to Five Seasons, including Luka Bagos, Dan Shoop, Craig Southworth, Ben Williams, Christian Moreno and Mirka Bagos.

“These are pros who were very well respected by the OBRFC members,” Cremin said. “I am lucky to have them working alongside us as well as the excellent pros already at Five Seasons.”

Adding Cremin and her team to Five Seasons bolsters an already-renowned tennis program, said Five Seasons Chief Club Officer Robert Diamond.

Tennis pros Tim Jessup and Jim Bisbee have been at Five Seasons since it opened in 2001 and have very large followings. In addition, Junior Tennis Director Matt McClure has put together a highly competitive program with pros Jeff Geraldo and Mike Patrick.

“Annette is hard-working and friendly. She’s approachable, but at the same time she has a great business mind with a knack for holding people on her staff accountable,” said Diamond. “We’re excited about the organizational leadership she brings.”

Over the first few weeks since Cremin and her team came aboard, the club’s tennis program has seen a surge of activity, Diamond said. “From the plans we have in the works,” he added, “we should be able to quadruple the number of tennis programs we offer.”

Her renown as a coach and director follows a strong playing career.

At the University of Pacific, where she received a full tennis scholarship, she was captain of the Division I team for three years and twice gained All Nor-CAL honors. She later won the Singapore Amateur Open Doubles Tournament and the Ambassador’s Cup.

Cremin, who has a degree in business management, moved to Hinsdale after living in Tokyo and Singapore. She has served at other clubs in the area. In the 1990s, she was the head tennis pro at Butterfield Country Club for five years—all while raising a family with her husband, Sam Cremin, that eventually grew to include three children.

Their two daughters are now in their 20s and their 15-year-old son attends Hinsdale Central High School.

Along with other new tennis pros, as well as longtime Five Seasons staff, Cremin will be on hand at a Community Open House at the club on Friday, July 24th, from 6 to 8 p.m. The event is open to members and guests, and will feature cocktails, appetizers, music and free drawings for a variety of club services.

Five Seasons Burr Ridge is the premier year-round high-energy, high-touch sports club focused on family leisure and entertainment, improving sports performance and maintaining overall health. The club is online at http://www.fiveseasonssportsclub.com/burrridge/ and can be reached at 630-570-5200.