Van Court and his brother De Witt, in 1882, moved to Oakland and founded the old Acme Athletic Club. The following year Van Court became an umpire in the Pacific Coast League, a position he held until 1890. And from 1885 to 1892 he held the coast amateur wrestling championship for his weight class. About that time he took up short-hand, and in 1895 he went to work in the Oakland police court.