Tennis Pro Staff

Miguel Morales
Director of Tennis

Certification
USPTR Professional level since 1974

College
Baruch College, NYC

Rankings
National Men’s 35”s Singles ranking of  #18; #22 ETA Men’s Singles
#8 ETA Men’s 35’s Singles;#3 in Men’s Doubles and # 1 Mixed Doubles in 1982 and 1983.

Awards
In 1983 Top Ten Tennis Professional in NYC by Sportswise Magazine and In 1996 received “Top Tennis Professional” award by the Nuveen Tour in recognition of his excellence as a Head Tennis Professional.

Tennis Jobs/Position
Tennis Director at the Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club 1976-84.
Saw Mill Club Tennis Professional for 12 years.
Tennis Director at Saw Mill Club for 6 years.

 

Cesar Civita
Asst. Tennis Director

Certification
USPTR

College
Palm Beach Community College – 1985-1987
Cal State University, Fullerton – 1989-1993, BA in International Business

Rankings
#16 in Brazil in the boys 16 category
# 4 player at Palm Beach Jr. College. Won two National Championships in a row
Won several important junior championships in Brazil
Played satellite tournaments and other professional tournaments in the US, Brazil and Europe
Played with Bjorn Borg, Guillermo Vilas, Jose Luis Clerc, Johan Kriek and other top ranking players

Awards
Most valuable player in the Kyrmayr Tennis Academy (Sao Paulo, Brazil) in 1983

Tennis Jobs/Position
1982-1987Practiced then taught at the Laver’s International Tennis resort in
Delray Beach, FL
1994 Assocociate Head Pro at the Woodfield Hunt Club in Boca Raton, FL
2003-2005 Senior Tennis Professional Saw Mill Club, Mount Kisco, NY

 

Steve Owens
Junior Tennis Coordinator

Certification
USPTA P-1 and Florida Section Tester College
1971 University of Alabama; BS in Physical Education

Rankings
Previously ranked in the 35’s, 40’s, 45’s and 50’s

Tennis Jobs/Position
W.A.T.C.H. circuit Professional Tour 1974-75; Teaching Pro – Colony Beach and Tennis Resort; Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy; Touring Coach with Nick Bollettieri, ATP and WTA circuit; Worked with Jimmy Arias, Tim Mayotte, Aaron Krickstein, Brad Gilbert, Vince Van patten, Yannick Noah, Brian Gottfried, Andre Agassi, Carling Bassett, Lisa Bonder, Shelly Solomon, Kathy Rinaldi, Kathleen Horvath, Pam Casale; Director of Tennis, Nick Bollettieri Tennis Camp, Beaver Dam, WI; Director of Tennis, Nick Bollettieri Tennis Camp, Deerfield Academy, MA; Taught clinics with Nick Bollettieri for USTA, USPTA, ITF world wide.

 

Isabel Fernandez
Adult Tennis Coordinator

College
University of South Florida in Tampa, #1 singles and doubles positions 1970

Rankings
#1 in Columbia since she was 15 years old, South American Champion in 1971-71, WTA #21 in singles and #15 in doubles in 1973, #1 Eastern Section Women’s 50’s 2001-02

Awards
Won many titles on the Pro Tour in the 70’s, semi-finalist of Wimbledon Ladies doubles in 1973, round of 16 in Singles at US Open in Forest Hills in 1973, Virginia Slims quarterfinalist several times in singles and doubles winner of Dallas with Martina Navratilova

Tennis Jobs/Position
Starting teaching in 1975 with the top Colombian up and coming young players, last 20 years was teaching in Queens, Rockland County, Hastings and Westchester

 

Richard Callwood

Certification
USPTR

College
1998-2002 SUNY Purchase.  BA Mathematics/Computer Science and BA Economics.

Rankings
In 1997, ranked #6 Men’s 30’s, USTA Eastern Region.

Tennis Jobs/Position
Tennis Professional at Club Fit Briarcliff, Tennis Professional with Tarrytown Recreation Department.

 

Vesselina Jeliazkova

Certification
PTR
CPR
First Aid

College
Northern Michigan University (Marquette, MI)
MS- Exercise Science
BS (Cum Laude)- Psychology major/ Coaching minor
Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS)
National Sports Academy (Sofia, Bulgaria)Undergraduate

Tennis Jobs/Position
School Year 2002-2003, NMU Women’s Tennis Team (Marquette, MI)
Summers 2002-2003 and 1998-2000, Tennis Club “Academic” (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Summer 2003, “Malechko” Pre-school (Sofia, Bulgaria)
Summer 2001, Mid-Town Tennis Club (Chicago, IL)
Summers 1995-1997, Athletic Club of Iraclion (Iraclion, Greece-Crete)

Titles
2000 ITA Rolex Tournament Doubles Finalist
Named 2000 and 2001 GLIAC 1st Team All-Conference
Full athletic scholarship at Kansas State University (KSU), (1999-2000), and Northern Michigan University (NMU) (2000-2002), for participating with Women’s Tennis Team
2001 GLIAC Tennis Champion
2002 GLIAC All- Conference Academic Award

 

Kevin Higgins

Certification
PTR Level 1

College
University of Dayton, Div. I 1978-81, Business Administration: Marketing

Awards
All State team junior and senior years in high school

Tennis Jobs/Position
Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Weston Field Club- Head Pro (1990-1993), Four Seasons Club in CT

 

 

Petar Kanev

Certification
National Sport Academy of Bulgaria; Master of Sports Psychology

Rankings
2002 #13 Best Man’s Ranking; 2002 quarterfinalist in
Bulgarian Open; 1995 fourth place at Man’s Team championship of Bulgaria as a member of National Sports Academy team; 1991 quarter finalist at Man’s Tournament Larissa Greece;
1992 amoung the top 10 16U in Bulgaria; 1990 amont the top 10 14U in Bulgaria

Tennis Jobs/Position
1994 Septemvri Tennis Club Director; 2000 Tennis Club ZCKA Coach;
2000-2004 Maleeva Tennis Club Professional and Coach; Worked with Bulgarian top junior players

 

Norm Zelenko 

Certification
PTR Instructor

College
Lehigh University – varsity basketball and tennis. (also tried out for a professional basketball team), BA in Sociology and Education, Masters in Education

Awards
Won several singles and doubles tournaments in Westchester several years ago.  Coached his son who achieved an Eastern and National ranking

Tennis Jobs/Position
Armonk Tennis Club, Mount Kisco and Tarrytown Recreation Programs.  Was a School Administrator prior to teaching tennis for 26 years in the Ossining School System.

 

Jacques du Toit

 

Certification
USPTA

 

Education
Oklahoma State University – Scholarship Tennis Athlete, Graduated with BS in Health.

 

Rankings
Juniors:  #3 in South Africa (singles and doubles), top 700 in the world (doubles) ITF.

 

Awards 
Dean’s List and Big 12 Student Athlete

Experience:  Hitting partner for former #1 in the world doubles, David Adams, travel member of the South African Davis Cup squad 1996-2000.

 

Jobs/Positions
Director of Tennis at the Armonk Tennis Club – 8 years.

 

 

 

Juan Carlo Manuel

Certification
USPTA

Education
Tyler Junior College- Tennis Business Managements- 2002-04

Rankings
All Conference- 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002
All State Section 1- 2000

Tennis Job
Saw Mill Club 6 years
Chappaqua Swim and Tennis- Assistant Pro
Lakeside Swim and Tennis- Assistant Pro