Judson University Professor Dr. Jack Groppel has been inducted into the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) Hall of Fame. Groppel has been a profound influencer in the world of athletics in sports science. In addition to serving as the schools’ FAR, Groppel is a professor of business and exercise science.
Groppel is most known for co-founding Johnson & Johnson’s Human Performance Institute, which is internationally recognized as an authority and a pioneer in the science of human performance. Dr. Groppel started the company in 1992 with longtime friend and business partner Dr. Jim Loehr, basing it on sport science principles and applying them to leadership and performance in high-stress arenas in business, military, law enforcement, medicine, and sport. After Johnson & Johnson’s purchase of the company in 2008, Dr. Groppel developed the patient athlete program for joint replacement patients, to help them develop a new purpose in life after joint replacement.
Some of Dr. Groppel’s career accomplishments include delivering three congressional briefings on worksite health promotion, representing the worksite wellness industry at the historic Surgeon General’s Call to action on Walking and Walkable Communities, and authoring 11 books including The Corporate Athlete and The Corporate Athlete Advantage. His work has been featured in well-respected news sources including the New York Times, Forbes, and the Huffington Post. His public speaking career includes thousands of events spanning six continents.
Dr. Groppel’s experience in college athletics and academics makes him the ideal person to take over this role. He served as the Head Coach of the University of Illinois’ tennis program from 1978-1981 and spent 16 years of service as the founding chairperson of the National Sport Science Committee of the United States Tennis Association. In academics, Groppel has conducted research as an Associate Professor of Kinesiology and of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois, which includes a performance analysis of over 25 sports—working with professional athletes in the MLB, NHL, NFL, and the USA Olympic Team. He is a fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine and the American College of Nutrition—which he serves as a board-certified nutritionist—and serves on the Board of Directors of the Health Enhancement Research Organization.
Groppel’s influence is shown within this video produced by the USPTA. Former top-ranked players Stan Smith and Billie Jean King were among the individuals who extended congratulations to him.
“Congratulations to be inducted for being inducted into the USPTA Hall of Fame. You certainly are deserving,” said Smith.
“We’ve been fortunate to be friends for many years. He is a pioneer in the field of human performance. It’s an honor to have worked with him, congratulations, Jack, and I am so happy that you are now in the USPTA Hall of Fame,” said King.