Speakers
This is a tentative list. Please check back for updates.
Katrina M. Adams
Katrina M. Adams played for 12 years on the WTA tour, where she was ranked as high as No. 67 in singles and No. 8 in doubles, capturing 20 career doubles titles. After her retirement from the professional tour, Adams served as a national coach for USTA Player Development. Adams attended Northwestern University, where she was an NCAA All-American and became the first African-American woman NCAA doubles champion in 1987. Adams works as a television analyst for Tennis Channel and serves as executive director of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program in New York City. She has been involved with the Zina Garrison All-Court Tennis Academy, the MaliVai Washington Foundation and the Althea Gibson Foundation, and received the WTA's Player Service Award for her charitable work. She currently is serving a two-year term as vice president on the USTA Board of Directors.
Tracy Almeda-Singian
Tracy Almeda-Singian, USPTA, is a former WTA Tour professional tennis player and former U.S. National Team member. After retiring from the WTA Tour, Almeda-Singian was the head pro at Kiwi Tennis Club in Indian Harbour Beach, Fla., for five years and was selected as the USPTA District Pro of the Year for the Florida Division in ’05-’06 and ’07-’08. In 2007, Almeda-Singian joined forces with childhood friend Andy Roddick in the Rally with Roddick event, which raised over $500,000 for two local Brevard County children’s charities. Currently, Almeda-Singian is the tour and marketing manager for Wilson Sporting Goods, overseeing all of Wilson Tennis’ social media efforts as well as managing the tour players’ appearances and online involvement. Her appearance is courtesy of Wilson Sporting goods.
Dr. Martin Baroch
Dr. Martin Baroch is the founder and owner of Martin Baroch Tennis Academy & Human Performance Center. An active USPTA member, he is a Professional 1, International Head Tester, member of the National Education Committee and member of the Speakers Bureau. In 1992 he founded the Czech Professional Tennis Association and he is currently vice president, director of education and head tester. He is also a member of the Czech Tennis Assocation, Registro Profesional de Tenis, Swiss Professional Tennis Association and the Society for Tennis Medicine and Science. Baroch presents seminars throughout Europe, Asia and the United States in four languages. His students have included top professional tennis players, top Czech and Swiss juniors, and world-class skiers. Baroch developed his own tennis-teaching system, “Dynamic Total Body Tennis,” runs his own tennis social network, MyTennisWorld.net, and produced a worldwide distributed tennis documentary, “A Tennis Champion is Born.”
Mike Barrell
Based in the United Kingdom, Mike Barrell has taught tennis for more than 20 years, working with players of all levels. He is the director of evolve9, providing consultancy to clubs, organizations and national associations. Evolve9 offers many services, including resource design, program management and practical on-court coach education delivery. Barrell, an LTA Level III Licensed Coach, has presented at numerous national and international conferences, and has authored magazine articles and manuals. He has worked on programs in developing tennis nations, including Holland, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Cyprus and Hungary. Barrell also works for the LTA as one of a team of coach education tutors, delivering coach education, certification and training. Barrell owned his own community-based tennis club for more than 10 years and now manages the Under 10s program at the West Hants Club in Bournemouth where he still works on court each week.
Lorenzo Beltrame
Lorenzo Beltrame has been involved in tennis all his life, first as a top-ranked junior, then as a professional player, and ultimately as a coach. He has worked with dozens of ATP and WTA touring professionals, including Jim Courier and Pete Sampras, and has coached players in the four Grand Slams, Davis Cup, and Hopman Cup. Beltrame has served as director of tennis at the Human Performance Institute in Orlando, Fla., since 1996. He is featured as guest instructor in several episode of "On Court with USPTA" on the Tennis Channel. Beltrame is a registered coach for the WTA Tour, is a USPTA Master Professional, and is certified as Maestro by the Italian Tennis Federation. He is also an ACE-certified personal trainer, and a USPTA Specialist in Competitive Player Development. His appearance is courtesy of the Human Performance Institute.
David Benzel
David Benzel is the founder and executive director of Growing Champions for Life Inc. and the author of two books. He brings an athlete's discipline, a coach's inspiration, and a business owner's practical experience to teaching skills for growing young athletes. His clients include the USTA, Evert Tennis Academy, U.S. Figure Skating, Florida Youth Soccer, the Florida Region of USA Volleyball, and numerous gymnastics organizations. Benzel is an eight-time national water ski champion, five-time national record holder, former coach of the U.S. Water Ski Team, and past president of the American Water Ski Educational Foundation. He also served as a commentator for ESPN’s X Games and the Professional Water Ski Tour. Growing Champions for Life provides educational resources for parents, coaches and athletes for the purpose of improving performance and the youth sport experience.
Michael F. Bergeron
Michael F. Bergeron, Ph.D., FACSM, USPTA, is the director of the National Institute for Athletic Health & Performance and Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota at the Sanford USD Medical Center. Bergeron is a Fellow and Trustee of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and past Chair of the ACSM Strategic Health Initiative - Youth Sports and Health Committee. He is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Executive Committee for the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness and currently serves as an Editorial Board member for the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism and Journal of Athletic Training. He also serves as a clinical and scientific consultant to the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Medical Services. Bergeron has worked with a number of junior, collegiate, and professional athletes on training and nutrition related to preparation, competition, and recovery strategies in the heat, with a particular emphasis on helping athletes to avoid muscle cramping.
Nancy Biggs
Nancy Biggs is the former director of marketing for Konica Canada and Konica USA. She launched Tenniscores Inc. in 1999 with business partner Nancy Swan. Tenniscores is now the second largest database for online scoring and league management in the United States with customers in Canada and China. In 2006 they began developing Courtside USA and in 2008 signed an exclusive agreement making the platform the official network of the USPTA. In 2010 Courtside became the national program of Tennis Canada. Official launch will be at the 2011 Rogers Cup in Toronto and Montreal. Her appearance is courtesy of CourtsideUSA.
Martin Blackman
Martin Blackman is the senior director for talent identification and development for USTA Player Development division. He played professionally for seven years after an outstanding amateur career. He was a two-time finalist at the USTA National Championships in Kalamazoo, Mich., winning the Boys’ 16s title in 1986 and reaching the Boys’ 18s final two years later. Blackman was a member of two NCAA Championship teams at Stanford, where he played doubles with Patrick McEnroe. From 1999 to 2004, Blackman served as the head coach for American University’s men’s tennis team, which won three consecutive conference titles under his tutelage, earning him three Conference Coach of the Year awards. Blackman served as director of The Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Md., one of the recently announced USTA Certified Regional Training Centers. His appearance is courtesy of USTA.
Doug Cash
Doug Cash, USPTA, has had a successful teaching career that has led to his advancement into club management. Cash was named USPTA’s Midwest Pro of the Year and New England Pro of the Year. In 2005, he retired from Tennis Corporation of America after 32 years with the company, where he was chief operating officer. He has started a tennis business consulting company called CashFlowTennis to help professionals and clubs increase their revenue and profits. Cash was recently named as the first Wilson Tennis Business Advisor to its 2,500 sponsored professionals. Cash’s specialty is to develop professionals into successful managers. His appearance is courtesy of Wilson Racquet Sport.
Jorge Capestany
Jorge Capestany, USPTA Master Professional, is the founder of www.tennisdrills.tv – a video-based website that shows more than 800 videos of tennis drills and tips. In Capestany's 30 years in the industry, he has created and directed lesson programs that have generated more than $1 million in annual revenue. He is a six-time Michigan Pro of the Year and a two-time Midwest Pro of the Year. Capestany has coached hundreds of ranked juniors including three national champions. He is also a USTA Recreational Coaches Workshop national trainer, a QuickStart national trainer and a member of the national Cardio Tennis speakers' team for the TIA.
Tom Daglis
USPTA Master Professional Tom Daglis is the director of tennis and fitness operations at Lakewood Country Club in Rockville, Md., and he also serves as USPTA’s national president. For over nine years, Daglis has been a business consultant for the Southern Tennis Academy, and as president/founder of Peachtree Tennis Promotions Inc., he has successfully directed large tennis events and coach's workshops on a national scale. Daglis has been honored as the 2003 George Basco Tester of the Year, 1992 Southern Professional of the Year, two-time Georgia Professional of the Year, three-time USPTA Southern Tester of the Year and twice with the prestigious Southern Pride of the South award. In 2006, he was awarded the USPTA's most prestigious award, the Alex Gordon Professional of the Year. He is currently a member of the HEAD/Penn Professional Advisory Staff and Speakers Bureau.
Ken DeHart
Ken DeHart is the director of tennis at the San Jose Swim & Racquet Club in San Jose, Calif. He is a USPTA Master Professional, a USA High Performance Coach and Wilson Premier Advisory Staff Member. He is a member of the United States Tennis Writers Association, Associate Editor for TennisOne.com and has written articles for ADDvantage magazine, Tennis magazine, TennisView and Tennis Life magazines. DeHart has been a three-time winner of the USPTA's Career Development Award. He was a gold medalist in the World Senior Games, the Bay Area Senior Games and has been ranked in the top 5 in the USPTA for the past 15 years in singles or doubles.
Matt Dektas
Matt Dektas is the co-founder of the EX Academy (Cincinnati, Ohio) with Craig Boynton (current coach of John Isner). EX has more than 100 Midwest ranked players, has produced more than $4 million in college scholarships, and now has three satellite branches in Chicago, Dayton, and Cleveland. Dektas directs a staff of 14 pros and a junior program with more than 430 participants. He has been voted Midwest Individual Coach of the Year several times, including 2010. He graduated Law School in 2002, but continued to teach because it is what he loves to do. He has just released a book, “Creative Ways to Manage Large Groups,” in 2011.
Nick Dewan
Dr. Nick Dewan is a Clearwater, Fla.,-based psychiatrist and physician executive with an international reputation spanning healthcare quality, technology, sports and neuropsychiatry. Dewan has been a collegiate tennis player and has coached NCAA Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Tennis. He has been the mental-skills coach at Saddlebrook Resort for seven years and has developed an online mental-skills coaching platform at www.drnickdewan.com. He has worked with athletes from more than 20 countries with a special emphasis on building resilience through cognitive and meditation techniques. He designed the first brain-imaging study of YIPS in golf and is passionately striving to uncover the neuropsychiatric basis of performance anxiety in athletes. Dewan provides expert opinion to local and national media on sports performance. He is a graduate of the Medical College of Ohio, and completed his residency in psychiatry at LAC-USC Medical Center and UCSD School of Medicine. He also participated in the UCSD/SDSU General Preventive Medicine Residency Program.
Scott Ficks
Scott Ficks is the tennis director at the Moorland Park Tennis Center in New Berlin, Wis., and at the Merrill Hills Country Club in Waukesha, Wis. Ficks was named the 2008 and 2010 Wisconsin State Pro of the Year and was the Faye Tooley Award recipient for his service to the Midwest tennis community in 2006. He has been a USTA Zonal coach for the Midwest team, coached boys’ high school tennis for five seasons, and is a member of Team Babolat. He has been a USPTA P-1 since 1996 and has spoken at the Midwest Convention and the Wisconsin Coaches Convention.
Brandyn Fisher
Brandyn Fisher has served since 2009 as the head mental conditioning coach at Academia Sanchez-Casal in Naples, Fla., where he developed and implemented his own performance training program. He has played an instrumental role in developing several nationally and internationally ranked players during his tenure at AS-C. Fisher was an assistant tennis coach at West Virginia University, where he also served as a sport psychology consultant for several other teams on campus. He has presented at various coaching conventions related to applying mental training methods and has written articles for junior and college player development websites and magazines. Fisher has a master's degree in sport and exercise psychology from West Virginia University and is currently completing his Ph.D. in the same discipline. He has coaching certifications from the USPTA (P-1) and RPT.
Dave Hagler
Dave Hagler is a USPTA Master Professional and a frequent speaker at conventions. He has coached numerous sectionally and nationally ranked junior players, (adult) NTRP national championship teams, and an ITF circuit player. He is a 2001 graduate of the USTA High Performance Coaching Program. Hagler has been a head college coach and coached USTA Competition Training Center and zonals teams. He was a USPTA tester for 10 years and chaired the Nominating Committee for the California Division. Hagler is a two-time Los Angeles District and 2007 California Division Pro of the Year. He is a member of the HEAD/Penn Advisory Staff and was the 2010 HEAD / Penn Racquet Sports Southern California Ad Staff Member of the Year.
Feisal Hassan
Feisal Hassan, a USPTA Master Professional, is a member of the HEAD/Penn Racquet Sports National Advisory Board and Speaker’s Bureau. He holds USPTA specialist degrees in Competitive Player Development, Facility Management and Little Tennis. He is also a USTA Recreational Coach and Quickstart Trainer, and a member of the National Cardio Tennis Speakers Team and the USPTA National Education Committee. He co-chairs the USPTA National Diversity Committee and was also the Director of Certification & Testing for the USPTA Middle States Division.
Jose Higueras
Jose Higueras joined the USTA coaching staff in 2008 after being hired by Patrick McEnroe to oversee all of Player Development’s coaching efforts. Higueras has worked with a number of the world’s best players both past and present, including Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Roger Federer, Jennifer Capriati and Mary Joe Fernandez. He was also Michael Chang’s coach when Chang won the French Open at age 17. As a professional, Higueras won 16 ATP singles titles and was ranked as high as No. 6 in the world. He reached the semifinals at Roland Garros in back-to-back years in 1982 and 1983, and he received the ATP Sportsmanship Award in 1983. Higueras was also a mainstay on the Spanish Davis Cup team, playing for eight years. His appearance is courtesy of USTA.
Richard Hillway
Richard Hillway was tennis director and junior professional for 28 years at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs, Colo., before retiring last year. He is one of America’s leading tennis historians, and owner of one of the world’s 10 largest tennis book collections. He is founder and 11-year chairman of the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame. As a player, Hillway was a top Colorado junior, then a No. 1 player at the University of Colorado. He has coached with Greeley City Recreation, was head pro at Arapahoe Tennis Club in Englewood, Co., and head pro at Village Tennis and Swim Club. He taught history and coached the boys’ tennis team at Cherry Creek High School, where he helped set national records of 19 straight state titles and 316 straight dual meet wins. And as assistant coach of Cheyenne Mountain High School, he helped lead the tennis teams to 31 state team championships.
Craig Jones
Craig S. Jones is the director of youth play and competition for USTA and is considered an industry leader in the QuickStart Tennis Play Format. Jones is a USPTA P-1 and is the owner of the Petersburg Racquet Club in Martinez, Ga. Jones He has received numerous awards for his work with QuickStart, including 2007 USTA/USPTA Community Service Award and the 2007 RSI Magazine Junior Champion of the Year. He is a frequent speaker at industry events and no stranger to the USPTA World Conference. His appearance is courtesy of the USTA.
Kurt Kamperman
Kurt Kamperman is the USTA’s chief executive for community tennis and he has led the USTA’s efforts to increase tennis participation in the United States. Kamperman previously was president of the Tennis Industry Association. Prior to joining the TIA in 1996, he was president of Stan Smith Design, as well as the director of tennis at Sea Pines Resort. As a tennis management and marketing consultant, he worked with dozens of top clubs, resorts, and companies. Kamperman attended Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, on a four-year scholarship. He later coached at YSU while attending graduate school and was named Conference Coach of the Year in 1981. He is a Master Professional and past national president of the USPTA (1996-1997). His appearance is courtesy of USTA.
Larry Karageanes
Larry Karageanes, USPTA Professional, is the director of Club & Resort Tennis Services, which provides valuable resources for teaching pros, coaches and players. The company's websites are www.TennisTeachingResources.com, www.highschooltenniscoach.com and www.mytennisstrategy.com. Karageanes has been in the tennis industry for more than 25 years, working at two of the top-50 tennis resorts in the country for 10 years and at one of the premier country club developments for 13 years. He also directs the tennis program at a top sports camp. Karageanes has made presentations for the USPTA and the USTA Tennis Teachers Conference. His unique drills, programs, manuals and marketing ideas have been used around the tennis world.
Dave Kozlowski
Dave “Koz” Kozlowski, one of the first 17 USPTA Master Professionals in the world, has been lecturing at national and international conventions for the past three decades. In 2001, he was named the USPTA Professional of the Year. “Koz” was also named the 1999 USTA Broadcaster of the Year. He is the executive producer and host of “Inside Tennis with the 'Koz'” which aired for five years on The Tennis Channel and is now airing on IndieTennis.com. In addition to his broadcast website profession, he serves as the director of tennis at the Dubuque Golf & Country Club in Iowa during the summer. Kozlowski is a member of the National Babolat advisory board.
Michele Krause
Michele Krause is the National Cardio Tennis program manager and speakers team director for the Tennis Industry Association. She oversees the entire Cardio Tennis program and is responsible for the 25 tennis professionals on the National Cardio Tennis Speakers Team. She makes presentations at industry meetings and trains coaches how to deliver the product. Krause is a USPTA tennis professional who managed tennis facilities for more than 16 years. Prior to her Cardio Tennis position, she was director of tennis at the Punta Gorda Club for Tennis and Fitness in Southwest Florida. She helped plan this state-of-the-art tennis and fitness facility from groundbreaking to completion and developed the tennis program. Krause has been dedicated to fitness and strength training for years and has taught "cardio style" her entire career. Her appearance is courtesy of TIA.
Page Love
Page Love is a leading sports nutrition expert and owner of Nutrifit, Sport, Therapy, Inc., a company dedicated to helping clients reach wellness goals. As a sports nutrition expert, Love works with touring tennis professionals, collegiate teams and recreational players. She served on the national U.S. Tennis Association Sport Science Committee for 17 years and is now a consultant to the USTA Player Development Program and the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Page played Division 1 NCAA collegiate tennis at Baylor University and is a certified tennis-teaching professional. She also is a registered dietitian with the American Dietetic Association and a health and fitness instructor certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.
Rick Macci
Rick Macci, USPTA Master Professional, has worked with hundreds of top pros and juniors at his Rick Macci Tennis Academy, and now is a touring teaching pro at Boca Lago Country Club. He has been the personal coach of four No. 1 players in the world – Venus and Serena Williams, Jennifer Capriati and Andy Roddick. His academy is regarded as one of the top teaching environments in the world. Macci, a six-time USPTA Florida Division Coach of the Year and recipient of the 2005 Alex Gordon Award for USPTA Professional of the Year, is one of the most in-demand clinicians and speakers in the game today and has contributed to award-winning instructional television shows with the USPTA.
Patrick McEnroe
Patrick McEnroe is the general manager of USTA Player Development, working out of the USTA’s national headquarters in White Plains, N.Y. The former Davis Cup player led the 2001 team to the championship in 2007, and he has captained the team to the semifinals or better on five occasions. He also was coach of the 2004 U.S. Olympic men’s tennis team. In his 11-year professional career (1988-98), McEnroe won one singles and 16 doubles titles, including the 1989 French Open doubles title. He reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 28 in 1995 and an individual doubles high of No. 3 in 1993. In addition to his duties with the USTA, McEnroe is a respected television and radio commentator. His appearance is courtesy of USTA.
Luis Mediero
Luis Mediero, USPTA Master Professional, is a top tennis educator and one of the leaders in the success of Spanish tennis. He founded the Registro Profesional de Tenis in 1989. With Mediero as its president, the RPT has become a leader in international certification and services to tennis professionals worldwide. Mediero was named the 1997 USPTA Professional of the Year. In his 25-year professional career, he has presented courses, clinics and conferences in more than 80 countries, published nine books and 22 manuals, and created 24 videos, 20 CDs and 30 DVDs. He also is founder and president of the International Coaches Institute, and has developed the ExecutiveSports program to help corporate executives improve their performance. In 1990 he patented his first method of training, the "MTM: Mediero Tennis Method." He also has created Streetennis, Charlytennis, Wheeltennis and Adultennis. In 2006, he patented a revolutionary new teaching methodology called "CDS: Concept Drive System" and in 2008 he introduced "S2P: Simple, Sensible and Practical."
Brenda Mertz
Brenda Mertz, USPTA, is the director of tennis at Bent Tree Country Club in Sarasota, Fla., and Mission Valley Country Club in Laurel, Fla. She was also director of tennis at Pelican Marsh in Naples, Fla., and taught at Pocono Manor Golf and Tennis Club in Pocono, Pa., and McLean Racquet and Health Club in McLean, Va. Mertz has served as USPTA Florida Division’s District 8 president, as well as a USPTA tester, an NTRP verifier and a USTA clinician. She was elected Coach of the Year in Fairfax, Va., by other coaches, pros and media. Mertz has written articles for major tennis magazines and appears on the Sunshine Network television show hosted by fellow Florida pro Dave Kozlowski. Mertz helped her facility raise more money for Lessons for Life, which benefits various charities, than any other club in the United States.
Scott Mitchell
Scott Mitchell, a former No. 1 mixed doubles player in the United States, is currently director of tennis at The Landings Club on Skidaway Island, Ga. Mitchell is a former president of USPTA North Carolina and is now working closely with USPTA Georgia. His coaching background is extensive as he has won a national championship, coached a GPC No. 1 player to a win over the then-NCAA No. 1, has been a USTA Zonal Coach, and he has coached more than 35 league champions and continues to work with tennis players of all ages and levels. For many years Mitchell has provided tennis tips and articles for countless magazines, CDs, books and websites. He is currently an editorial contributor providing articles, tips and videos for top-rated magazines such as Tennis View Magazine, Centre Court Magazine and Tennis World South Africa, as well as countless websites such as USPTA Georgia, itennis.com, boomertennis.net and more. Mitchell has appeared on such radio shows as Tennis Grand Stand, USTA Northern California and is currently editing his first tennis instructional DVD. His Facebook tennis fan page, featuring video instruction and commentary, has almost 3,000 followers from across the country and around the world.
Lucien Nogues
Lucien Nogues spent 20 years in competition service stringing, including close to 600 international
tournaments and 60 grand slam tournaments. He was the team stringer for two winning
Davis Cup teams and one winning Fed Cup team. Nogues, whose appearance is courtesy
of Babolat, has been with Babolat for 30 years and is a research and development team
member on racquets, strings and stringing machines. He speaks and trains in six languages. His appearance is courtesy of Babolat.
Stan Oley
Stan is a member of the USPTA, USTA, and HEAD/Penn National Advisory Board, as well as the Ferris State University Advisory Board. Oley has been the USPTA Florida Division District 15 President for the past four years. During his 27 years as a teaching professional, he has been the head tennis professional at the International Tennis Center in Key Biscayne, Fla., (home of the Sony Ericsson Championships) and also the director of tennis at Orange Lake Country Club in Orlando, Fla. Oley has been featured on the Tennis Channel’s One Minute Clinic and On-Court with USPTA, and has three full-length instructional DVDs. His On Court with USPTA show “Rip Your Returns Like the Pros” won a 2005 Award of Distinction from the Communicator Awards.
Warren Pretorius
Warren Pretorius, USPTA Master Professional, is tennis market manager for Dartfish USA. He also represents Dartfish, the world’s leading video analysis software, as regional director for the Southwest Region of the United States and for South Africa. Pretorius does national camp video analysis for the USTA and filming at major events such as the U.S. Open. He was instrumental in the motion capture of Microsoft’s Xbox tennis games, Topspin and Topsin II. Pretorius is a Certified USTA High Performance Coach. He has consulted with professional players, including Maria Sharapova and Donald Young. He is the former director of tennis at Park City Racquet Club in Utah. He played NCAA division I college tennis at Weber State University. On the senior tennis circuit, he has won eight USTA balls, including four national championships. Pretorius is a member of Prince Sports Group President’s Council and Prince Speakers Bureau. He has been a speaker the last eight years at the USPTA World Conference on Tennis. Courtesy of Dartfish
Harvey Ratner
Harvey Ratner is the developer and owner of HRASPORTS VISION. His clients include the USTA officials, USTA, NFL, and five major league baseball organizations. He helped in developing a vision training research program at the University of Maryland, and was the 1994 recipient of the Maryland Council on Physical Fitness Hall of Fame award.
Emilio Sanchez Vicario
Emilio Sánchez Vicario is a former professional tennis player who led tennis in Spain during the 1980s and into the '90s. He reached No. 7 in the world in singles and teamed with Sergio Casal to claim a No. 1 world ranking in doubles. Sánchez Vicario was the national champion in Spain six times, played for 12 years on his country's Davis Cup team, and won an Olympic Silver Medal in 1988. Sánchez Vicario captained the Spanish Davis Cup team from 2005-2008, and won the Cup in his final year. He has been named an International Master Professional by the RPT. He also has been selected as national coordinator of tennis in Brazil. In 1999, he founded the prestigious Academia Sánchez-Casal. The academy has developed top professional players such as Svetlana Kuznetsova, Andy Murray and Juan Monaco. Academia Sánchez- Casal has also developed top junior players including Grigor Dimitrov, champion of the Junior U.S. Open and Junior Wimbledon in 2008. In 2007, Sánchez Vicario opened a second academy in Naples, Fla. His appearance is courtesy of HEAD/Penn.
Scott Schultz
Scott Schultz, USPTA, is the managing director for recreational tennis at the USTA. He is responsible for the QuickStart Tennis Play Format, Tennis in the Parks, Campus Tennis, Tennis Welcome Centers, Tennis Service Representatives, Community Tennis Associations, Schools Tennis, Recreational Coaches Workshops, Outreach, Advocacy and NJTL. Before joining the USTA, Schultz founded Ferris State University's Professional Tennis Management program and directed it from 1987 to 1998. He then worked as a full professor for PTM in the College of Business from 1998 to 2003. Schultz also served as Associate Vice President for Administration and Finance at Ferris. As the head men's and women's varsity tennis coach from 1982 to 1988, his teams won 12 GLIAC championships and were regularly ranked in the nation's top 20 in Division II. Schultz also was founder of the Ferris State Tennis Camps, which became the largest junior and adult camp in the Midwest. His appearance is courtesy of USTA.
Michael L. Smith
Michael L. Smith has served since 2003 as a teacher and principal of Schiller International School in Barcelona, Spain, where he works daily with student-athletes from 34 countries who train tennis intensively at the Academia Sánchez-Casal. Smith is also active in the international educational community in Barcelona and Southern Europe as a member of the Mediterranean Association of International Schools (MAIS). Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in history from West Virginia University and master’s in International Education from Endicott College. He is highly involved in his students’ university placement and travels across the United States visiting universities and talking with coaches. He has helped hundreds of student-athletes to study, play tennis, and earn scholarships across a broad spectrum of universities in the United States. He believes in and advocates the university student-athlete experience as great preparation for life on the Tour or in any successful career.
Ron Steege
USPTA Pro 1 Ron Steege is the vice president and director of tennis for Greenwood Athletic Club in Greenwood Village, Colo. He has previously worked for the Colorado Athletic Club Inverness in Englewood, Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe, N.M., and several locations throughout the country with the prestigious John Gardiner organization. This includes the Tennis Ranch in Scottsdale, Ariz., Carmel Valley, Calif., and Tampa, Fla. Prior to becoming a teaching pro in 1983, Steege worked as a radiological technologist in Wyoming and Colorado. Steege has served as education coordinator and secretary of the USPTA Intermountain Division, and currently is a tester for the division. In 1998, he was named the Intermountain Assistant Pro of the Year, division Tester of the Year in 2002 and 2004, and in 2001 he was honored as the division’s Professional of the Year. He also received the Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Easter Seals of Colorado from 1994 through 2001.
Kerri Whitehead
Kerri Whitehead is a Primary Health Care Provider for the WTA Tour when she is on site at tournaments and holds the position of WTA Director, Sport Sciences and Medicine Programs. Whitehead graduated in 1995 from Boston University (Sargent College of Allied Health Professions) Boston with dual degrees in athletic training and physical therapy. She worked in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maine before moving to Bradenton, Fla., in 2005. She has provided care to athletes on the high school, collegiate (Division I), Olympic and Paralympic levels. Whitehead most recently practiced at the Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Center and Bollettieri Sports Medicine located in Bradenton. Her appearance is courtesy of the WTA Tour.
Wendy Whitlinger
Wendy Whitlinger, USPTA, helps players develop a physical, mental, and emotional foundation that gives them the ability to be the best that they can be. She began her teaching/coaching career in the late 1960s, working at the Stap National Tennis Camp at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wis. She later worked at the Dayton Indoor Tennis Club in Ohio before becoming the head professional and director of tennis at the Kettering Tennis Center, where she coached players who went on to play collegiate and professional tennis. Whitlinger continues to teach part time and speaks to tennis professionals, coaches, and parents on building mental muscle with positive-impact coaching. She compiled a manual of tools and materials for pros/coaches to use in mental training: TRAIN TO GAIN – Building Mental Muscle.
Tom Whitten
Tom Whitten brings more than 20 years of teaching and tennis industry experience to the USPTA World Conference on Tennis. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1996, Whitten worked for five years as the first assistant pro at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. He then moved to Northern California and was director of tennis at Sun Oaks Tennis and Fitness for six years. Whitten currently holds the title of director of tennis at The Oaks Club in Osprey, Fla. Whitten holds a P-1 rating in the USPTA and has a level 1 USTA Sports Science Certification. In 2007, Whitten was selected for and completed the USTA’s High Performance Coaching Program in Carson, Calif., and holds a specialist degree in competitive player development from the USPTA. Whitten serves as tournament director for the USTA $25,000 Professional Challenger of Osprey and has been a frequent speaker for USPTA NorCal and the USTA.
Sophie Woorons-Johnston
Sophie Woorons-Johnston, Ph.D., USPTA, earned her doctorate in sport pedagogy from the University of Georgia. She was an All-American for Clemson University and is a former world-ranked WTA player. Woorons-Johnston now owns and manages the Brookstone Meadows Tennis Club in Anderson, S.C. She is a USTA Recreational Coach Workshop National Trainer and a member of the National Cardio Tennis Speakers Team.