NEWS

Drew Broderick and Jared Palmer will be inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame at Canoe Brook Country Club on March 5, 2026, the eve of the APTA Men’s and Women’s Nationals in Summit, New Jersey. 

Learn the full story about how Drew and Jared first connected and what and who led to their success.

Job Description            

Drew  Director of Racquets at Canoe Brook Country Club, Summit, New Jersey. 

Jared  Director of Business Development, PlayReplay, an electronic line-calling company, Stockholm, Sweden.

Getting the Call from the Hall of Fame Committee

Drew   I got the official call from Tim McAvoy and Patty Hogan. I anticipated being in this position, but when the day comes, I was still extremely surprised and flattered. After I hung up, I reflected on 23 years competing, teaching, and running tournaments in this industry. 

Jared  I was really, really thrilled and honored. I was certainly hoping that Drew and I would get inducted. We won three Nationals in a row—on paper that looks impressive. But we know that any match could have gone either way. All the training and preparation and ups and downs of a season—we were able to come through in tough moments. The Hall of Fame honor is very satisfying.

Teaming Up

Drew  I got a text message from a random number I didn’t recognize. It read “Not sure of your plans for the upcoming season, but I think you and I could eventually make a really good team.” At that point, Jared and I had played against each other once, maybe twice. I didn’t know him, but obviously knew of him. THE Jared Palmer thought that highly of my game that he was willing to reach out. I set up practice matches against some of the top players–this was in 2014. Twenty sets against top 10 teams, we won them all. We kept getting better and better every time we played. 

Jared  When I started playing, Drew had already won a national title. I watched Drew play a full set in the early rounds of a tournament. He didn’t miss a single ball. He was just very disciplined and consistent. Later, I sent him a text. I doubt he had heard of me. It was a leap of faith on his part.

Realizing The Potential

Drew   We played a lot of tournaments together. There was one thing about Jared—he just needed to know what to do, and then he magically did it. He was, most importantly, committed to competing. It was very wowing to me how good he could keep getting every time he was on the court. 

Jared   I think we could tell right away. As a team, we had a good balance of a low error count and being able to win points with offense. We complemented each other. We communicated well. I was able to learn from him, as we went along, how to play against the top teams. 

Success on the Court

Drew   We were both very driven to be the best team. Our singular mission was to beat the best team at the time—Mark Parsons and Johan du Randt.

Jared  I would say, most importantly, we had confidence in each other in pressure situations. Also, during the season, we handled losses well. We didn’t get down on each other. We had our eyes on playing our best paddle at the end of the season. When Nationals came around, we felt ready. Drew was analytical. I played more on feel. We were a good combination in that regard. 

Off-Court Time

Drew  We lived in different states, so we didn’t know each other. As we played, driving to and spending time at tournaments, naturally together for hours, we had to get to know each other. I asked him about his years on the Tour, the rise of the Bryan Brothers. competing on center court at Wimbledon.

Jared  Drew was very organized and was smart about getting ready for big matches. We’d go out to dinner, and he had a mental Rolodex of the players in the draw. He would generally have good insight into how to play them. 

Favorite Nationals Victory 

Drew  My most memorable match with Jared was the 2015 Nationals finals. It was the first time we had a solid plan against Parsons and du Randt. We won the first set 6-0. We looked at each other, “Yup, we got it.” Guys at that level have a tendency to throw people off their game plan. We lost the second set. But, we battled back to win the third set, at 6-0.

Jared   My favorite and most memorable was the first time we won, in Chicago. We had a lot of tough matches and close battles that could have gone either way. 

The Draw of the Sport

Drew   The people are a big part of it. I’m still in the industry. It's important to be relevant, to keep playing tournaments. I'm becoming a better teacher. I still feel like I can win, and that motivates me to go to the gym 4-5 times a week, to go on YouTube and break down opponents and my matches. 

Jared   Any time you try something new, it has to be fun. I loved the game, and being able to play another racquet sport at a high level was enticing. Getting really stuck into a match against a good team and having to figure out ways to win, even though the guys are testing us—I really enjoyed that. 

Paddle Influencers

Drew   Former NJ Men’s League head, Ron Cummins, was responsible for me playing the ad side as a lefty. I talk to Ron after almost every tournament or match that I play. He gives me the tough love. I also spend lots of time listening to Patty Hogan’s thoughts. My son, Vince, has been my travel buddy since he was 3 years old. He is now 13. He has told me that I could probably be his partner for a year or two, but then he will have to move on.

Jared  I met a group of men, including Ryan Nally, at a dinner party in Rowayton who invited me to play. So I appreciate them immensely. I learned so much about the game from Mark Parsons, Juan Arraya, and obviously Drew. 

Much Thanks

Drew  I would like to express my appreciation to my family and both the Essex Fells Country Club and the Canoe Brook Country Club for supporting my career, allowing me to take the time away from them to compete and help me become a better pro and player. 

Jared   I wouldn’t want to leave someone out. By March, I’ll have the full list ready.