Jeremiah | Head Coach
Ascension was the brainchild of Jeremiah. His primary focus is providing the vision and strategic leadership for Ascension. Through his insights both into people and the world of tennis, he is uniquely positioned to drive the future of this exciting organization. His breadth of knowledge and experience is unparalleled and provides the foundation for success of the programs. Something else…
Although he was born and raised here in Redding, much of his training and experience has come from outside this immediate area. His credentials include 1. Attending the Van Der Meers Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina 2. Being the Head Coach of the Virginia Military Institute Men’s Tennis team making him the youngest Division I Head Coach at the age of 24. 3. Starting a tennis facility management company where he received the USTA National Programming Award for Excellence. 4. Leading the University of Northern Colorado men’s tennis program through the transition to Division I and the Big Sky Conference. 5.. Before returning home to Redding, he was the Head Coach at Southern Oregon University where the team set a new school record for single season win percentage.
Jeremiah is the proud father of two young sons, Wyatt and Gradyn.
Chase Boontjer | Strength and Conditioning Coach
Chase Boontjer is a Redding native who graduated from Foothill High school in 2011. After a successful high school wrestling career in which he was a 4 time all American, State placer, and section champion, Chase received a Division 1 scholarship to wrestle for Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Known for his work ethic and staying power, Chase went on to be a 3-time All American wrestler in college.
Upon returning to his hometown and marrying his high school sweetheart, Chase has spent the last few years helping individuals and athletes pursue and achieve their goals through their fitness and self-improvement. His high energy coaching style and his always widening scope of modern athletic training methods has put him at the forefront of Norcal athletic coaches. Chase has also been coaching wrestling at the collegiate level the last few years assisting Simpson University’s first athletes to go to nationals. Chase’s knowledge and expertise has assisted Division 1 tennis players, world class Jiu Jitsu practitioners, and a myriad of other diverse athletes improve their lives through his guidance and their own hard work.
When he’s not helping people improve their own journey he can be found improving his own. Spending time with his wife, riding his dirt bike, or pursuing his own growth through reading, and his near record attainment of his own purple belt in jiu jitsu, Chase is an ever evolving student as well as a mentor to Northern California’s growing and developing athletes.
Steve Kinder | Tennis Coach
Steve brings a plethora of business management and tennis experience. His tennis playing began in North Virginia and then he went onto play collegiate tennis for two years in Honolulu, Hi, where he was ranked in the Men’s Open Top 100 in both singles and doubles.
Steve was the Head Coach for the Men’s Tennis Team at Leeward College in Hawaii, and subsequently was the Head Coach for the Boys and Girls teams at Foothill High School, in Redding.
His business experience includes being Operations Manager at the Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association, Sales and Marketing Manager at Best Western Hilltop Inn/CR Gibbs American Grille and General Manager of Gaia Hotel and Spa and Woodside Grill.
Steve is the father of two sons, Gabe and AJ.
Justin Barton | Tennis Coach
Justin Barton, better known as “JB” in the community, was born and raised in Redding California and began his journey with tennis around the age of 10. He played multiple sports as a youth but decided to choose tennis as his primary sport after breaking his left wrist during a snowboarding accident around the age of 12. He was one of the first groups of players in Team Ascension and went on to play two years of college tennis at American River College in Sacramento before transferring to George Fox University in Portland, Oregon where he received a BS in Exercise Science. In college he helped the American River College program win the CCCAA North State Championships for the first time in 50 years and became one of the team leaders for both the ARC and GFU teams. JB has always dreamed to come back to Redding to coach Team Ascension and give back to a program that substantially helped shape and define his own life.
JB is engaged to Adele Duval, another former Team Ascension member, and is looking forward to getting married in early 2022.
The Ascension Project 