Commitment Profile
Countdown: Bernstine Follows Father, Chooses Hokies
by Blair Henley, 12 October 2016
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When Chase Bernstine finished his first two seasons of tennis at Goochland High School with a perfect record, recording two state singles titles and a doubles title in the process, his teachers and classmates were quick to take notice.
"They thought I was going to go out and win the US Open," Bernstine said.
While he won't be playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium any time soon, competing at a Division I college program was always Bernstine's primary goal. It was also part of the reason he opted out of playing high school tennis his freshman year. It took a little persuasion to convince him that he could maintain his busy practice and tournament schedule on top of competing in school matches.
"There were some teachers who definitely asked me about playing, and I just kind of did it," he said. "I ended up having a lot of fun with the people who were on the team."
Growing up, Bernstine trained at Hermitage Country Club in his hometown of Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, where his father works as the Director of Tennis and Fitness. Mark Bernstine has served as both Dad and Coach from the time his son first picked up a racket at age 6.
"It has its pros and cons," said the younger Bernstine of the arrangement. "We just worked it out over the years and got to know each other's on-court personalities."
Their relationship has been a productive one. Bernstine's big forehand and solid volleys have made him the top player in Virginia, earned him a Five-Star Tennis Recruiting rating and made his dream of playing Division I tennis a reality.
From the beginning, he seemed destined to start his college career just a few hours away at Virginia Tech. His father played for the Hokies from 1986-1990 and took Bernstine to his first Tech football game when he was just 9 years old. As a child, he remembers seeing the tennis center at the school's Blacksburg campus and even checking out the locker room. But despite his family ties to Virginia Tech, he was determined to keep an open mind as he navigated the recruiting process.
