Julian Brown, Tennis Professional
Julian comes to RIRC with exceptional teaching and playing credentials. He was a nationally ranked junior growing up and then went on to play Division 1 tennis at St. Bonaventure’s, where he competed for all 4 years. He has taught extensively in Long Island for the past 13 years, most recently as a Senior Teaching Professional at Sportime Roslyn. He is a well-rounded coach who can work with all ages and levels with skill and enthusiasm.
Anna Edelman, Tennis Professional
Anna Edelman, a native of New York City, was a ranked Junior Player and attended Binghamton University where she played first singles and first doubles for four years. She is a certified member of the USPTA and certified in Cardio Tennis. Before coming to Roosevelt Island, she worked as an assistant coach for the Women’s tennis team at Binghamton University and she also worked at Atlantic Beach Tennis Center.
David Glackin, Tennis Professional
David, originally from Philadelphia and a top ranked junior in the Middle States has taught at RIRC since 1997. David is a graduate of the University of Oregon and received his Masters Degree in Fine Arts from Pratt Institute. He was with All-American Sports Tennis Camps for 14 years. Since 1986 as a USPTA certified teaching pro in NYC, he has excelled in the teaching of beginners to top junior players. He has been a USTA Area Training Center head coach at the National Tennis Center. David is also a very skilled professional photographer.
Anne Hobbs, Tennis Professional
Anne Hobbs was one of Britain’s leading tennis players for more than 12 years. Anne reached a WTA world ranking of 33 in singles and 6 in doubles. A keen competitor with a serve and volley game, Anne represented Great Britain in Wightman and Federation Cups from 1978-1989, and had recorded singles victories over Virginia Wade, Rosie Casals, Jo Durie, Carling Bassett, and Zina Garrison. Anne runs her own program at RIRC which includes private lessons, doubles clinics, and adult tournaments. For more information on Anne Hobbs, please click on the link to her website www.AnneHobbsTennis.com.
Benny Hung, Tennis Professional
Benny is a USPTR certified professional and teaches many adult programs and classes at RIRC. He was previously the head coach of the Columbia Prep High School varsity tennis teams for two seasons, and an assistant coach for the Vassar College women’s varsity tennis team. A graduate of Oxford University, Benny emphasizes a mental and goal-oriented approach in his lessons. He inspires his clients with passion and intensity. Benny can be reached at bhung@advantagetennisclubs.com
Aston Lawson, Tennis Professional
Aston attended Montego Bay Community College, Jamaica. He taught at several All-American Sports five-star resorts and is an instructor at the Nike/Amherst Adult Tennis Camp in Massachusetts. USPTA certified, he has been at RIRC since 1994 and excels in the development of junior players.
Miko Sarznynski-RIRC Senior Professional
Miko has been teaching successfully in the Metropolitan Area for the past 10 years working for numerous organizations such as Tennis Approach, Super Stars Tennis, and the JMTA on Randalls Island. He is a USPTA certified Tennis Professional and utilizes his background in philosophy to help his students gain a better knowledge of technique and tactics on the tennis court. In his short time here at RIRC Miko has proven to be equally popular with adults and juniors.
Jesse Smith, Tennis Professional
A native to New York City, Jesse Smith is a former top junior in the New York metro area. He was captain of the Bronx Science varsity tennis team his junior and senior years. He earned a degree in Fine Arts at Queens College where he started for the QC Knights all four years. He was voted captain his senior year. He played an integral role in the team’s highest achieved national ranking of 23 as well as their consecutive nationals round of 16 appearances from 2008-2012. He taught at NTC from 2005-2011 in various capacities including Quickstart, summer camp and adult programs. He has been USPTA certified since 2009 and working with RIRC since June of 2014. Jesse can be reached at jsmith@advantagetennisclubs.com
Mike Williams, Tennis Professional
Michael started playing tennis at 5 years old and never looked back. He was as a nationally ranked junior player until he attended Clemson University where he proudly captained the tennis team. After his college career he played on the satellite tour in which he earned a singles ranking of 1081 in the world and a top 1000 doubles ranking. Michael became a USTA “Gold Ball” recipient in 2013 when he won the Men’s “Open” Doubles Championship at the National Tennis Center.
After stepping away from professional tennis he turned his focus to teaching others the game he loves. From touring professionals, to aspiring amateurs, to beginners, Michael has twenty years of teaching experience in the New York City area and abroad. He has been a sparring partner for such greats as John and Patrick McEnroe, Martina Navratilova, Venus Williams, Andy Roddick and Jim Courier. His coaching influences include Bob Ingersole, Chuck Kriese, and Nick Bollettieri. Michael is dedicated to helping players of all levels by focusing on the fundamentals of the game and designing programs that will help each individual reach their highest level. Mike can be reached at mwilliams@advantagetennisclubs.com.
Carole Wright
Tennis Professional
Co-director of the All City Junior Tennis and Sports Camp at Roosevelt Island and the Assistant Director of the All-City Junior Tennis Program, Carole has been running junior tennis programs for children for over 25 years. She is one of the best women tennis players to come from New York. She was twice the National Indoor Women’s Champion, the Mixed Doubles Indoor Champion and the Canadian Women’s Singles Indoor Champion. She has been at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club since 1992. Prior to moving to RIRC, Carole ran programs at Crosstown Tennis. In her spare time, Carole creates handcrafted tennis ornaments. You can visit her web site at www.cwstainedglass.com.