Our Tennis and Racquet Sports Pros

About

Ben is originally from Hamme, Belgium, where he attended High School and College. He holds a Bachelor degree in Professional Tennis Management. After his playing career he coached in Belgium and Northern Ireland and in 2004 took a Tennis Director position in Atlanta, GA. In 2015 Ben came to the RAC to become our Racquet Sports Director. Away from work Ben likes to spend time with his daughter Lindsi and enjoys playing golf.

What led you to work at the RAC?

After visiting the RAC for my interview and meeting all the people that worked here I knew this was a place I really wanted to work. I am so excited to be part of an amazing Racquet Sports Department. The RAC has really become my family.

What is your teaching philosophy?

My goal is to help every student maximize their potential and become the best tennis player possible through hard work and perseverance. I constantly challenge them to get them out of their comfort zone. I try to teach them a life lesson through the game of tennis. The path to success isn’t always straight and there are many roadblocks along the way. It’s how you deal with challenges, obstacles and failure that will define you as a person for the rest of your life.

What would you like to say to someone who is considering tennis lessons?

Tennis is a very technical sport. I would strongly encourage beginning tennis players to take some private lessons to get a taste of the basic technical skills. Once you master these basic skills you will enjoy tennis so much it will be a sport for a lifetime.

“Fun Fact” about Ben few people know about:

In my younger years I once featured in an ad for British Telecom. Even though it was a fun experience I limited my “modeling” career to a one-time appearance.

About

Chris was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. He grew up in Rochester and graduated from John Marshall High School. He was a co-captain of the men's tennis team at Catawba College in North Carolina. Chris has taught at various clubs over the years and returned to the RAC in 2018. He enjoys fitness, traveling and being with his family.

What classes do you teach?

I coach all levels of tennis at the RAC including 10 and under, ACE juniors, Adults, Camps etc. I'm a USPTA tennis professional with 19 years of experience.

What do you like about the RAC?

I started at the RAC back in 1994 working with summer day camps, birthdays and junior gym. I enjoyed my first stop at the RAC and given the opportunity to come back was great. The RAC is a great place to work. There are programs for everyone, quality is great and we work together as a team.

What do you enjoy about being a tennis professional?

I enjoy all aspects of being a tennis professional especially guiding students through the mental, physical, social, and emotional aspects of tennis. Getting to know my students and parents on and off the court is great as well.

What would you say to someone who is considering tennis lessons?

Tennis is a lifetime sport and you can learn at any age. If you start lessons, when you get on the court relax and don’t over think things. Just take on a positive mindset and have fun with the lesson. Yes, you initially will make mistakes in drills, but once you start to develop muscle memory and your contact point becomes consistent you will make a lot of shots and start to rally.

“Fun Fact” about Chris few people know about:

I was the KTTC news center athlete of the week my junior year at John Marshall High School.

About

Greg grew up in a rural southwest Wisconsin community along the Mississippi river. After graduating from Winona State University in 1991 he married and moved to Rochester that same year. He joined the RAC in 1994 and 10 years later became part of our racquetball staff in 2004. Greg likes camping, canoeing, and enjoying two golden retrievers with his wife.​

What classes do you teach?

I teach all junior and adult racquetball classes as well as introduction to squash.

What do you like about the RAC?

I have always enjoyed the quality of the facilities that the RAC has to offer as well as the attention to detail of the whole member experience at the RAC. I like that members can enjoy just relaxing at the RAC or can become involved in any of the numerous sporting or workout activities available.

What do you enjoy about being a racquetball professional?

I really enjoy introducing people to racquetball and how easy it is to just have fun at this sport. It’s a great alternative activity that can attract people to being active and increase their fitness level at the same time.

What is your coaching philosophy?

I think focusing on enjoying the activity is the most important aspect of any sport. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t keep doing it. I like to learn what current physical abilities a student has and help them enjoy the sport right away, at a level they can perform at immediately. Then as time and physical abilities change, focus on adjusting and learning to improve skills and mental awareness.

“Fun Fact” about Greg few people know about:

I taught swimming lessons while going to high school and college. Classes ranged from “mom -n- tots” to beginning diving lessons. When time permits, I still enjoy swimming as a cardio workout.

About

Katie was born in Eustis, Florida. She grew up in Florida and California, eventually landing in Minnesota where she attended Rochester John Marshall High School and then Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. She was a dual sport athlete in both high school and college playing softball and tennis. Now after graduating she continues to coach both sports. Katie enjoys traveling, sports, family, and friends.​

What classes do you teach?

I coach primarily in the 10 and under program.

What do you like about the RAC?

I like that the RAC feels like home. This was the facility I grew up playing at and coming back to such a great environment of fitness and health is exciting and welcoming.

What do you enjoy about being a tennis professional?

My favorite thing about being a tennis professional would have to be watching the growth of players over time. Nothing beats watching someone’s hard work and dedication to their craft payoff in the long run.

What is your coaching philosophy?

I have always strived to coach at a competitive level where winning was the goal but it was not the ultimate end we were trying to achieve. Personally sports were the foundation of becoming who I am today, and I believe that through coaching I am not helping athletes improve their game but rather building people who will one day go out and better our community.

“Fun Fact” about Katie few people know about:

I have two nephews in Napa Valley, California whose names are Danger Dillon Krull and Riot Rion Krull.

About

Nick was born and grew up in Rock Island, Illinois. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2002, where he was a 3 time All American tennis player. Since then he has worked as a tennis professional, and joined the RAC team in 2016. Nick has also been the head tennis coach at Century High School for the last seven years. He enjoys competing in tennis and basketball and anything that involves his family!

What lead you to work at the RAC?

The first class facilities and the environment for my family are second to none at the RAC. I enjoy having the ability to train the best players in Rochester and help lead a great academy here. It is fun to see everyone strive to become a Top Gun player and have the best players all train together.

What would you say to someone who is considering tennis lessons?

Come out and have some fun! We have great instructors and a fabulous group of players that we can match you up with. You can find whatever you are looking for. There are social groups and there are more competitive players. There are many activities at all age levels and it is never too late to start playing!

Interests?

You can usually find me talking about one of my Chicago sports teams. I am an avid follower of most pro sports and the ATP Tour of course! I am also busy chasing my two boys around and enjoy my family time! I also love to compete with our up and coming ACE players anytime they are willing to put it on the line!

What is your teaching philosophy?

It’s all in the game!!! Tennis is a great way to teach life skills. Practicing tennis and becoming a competitive player can teach us so many life skills. There is fitness, stress management, dealing with failure, and time management just to name a few. I would like my students to learn about how to become a better person as well as find success on the court!

“Fun Fact” about Nick few people know about:

I have done some solid work as a competitive eater. In college, I conquered the Fatty Patty Challenge which involved eating two one pound burgers and a pound of fries. I believe that I did it within 15 minutes, which must be a pound for pound record. I have scaled back on the competitive eating as I get older and health has become more important, but I can still compete with the best of them!

About

Sabine grew up in Ohio where she participated in many sports including judo, cross country running and soccer. She earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences but left the biomedical research field in order to spend more time with her daughters. Her daughters introduced her to even more sports including tennis and ice dancing - leading Sabine to learn about and compete in both sports as an adult! Sabine loves tennis (and pickleball!), but not nearly as much as she loves working with children.

What are some of your specialties?

I love working with kids from their first steps on a tennis court with a red ball through their competitive experiences with the green-dot ball. I particularly enjoy coaching in the USTA Northern Early Development Tennis Camps. I try to cater lessons to each individual child and their specific needs and goals. Tennis is a life-long sport, so each person’s path is unique.

What do you enjoy about being a tennis professional?

Being a tennis professional provides an opportunity to have a positive influence on kids in our community! Tennis is a wonderful outlet for daily stress management, and I have found it to be a means to help kids through rough days, whether a disagreement with a friend or struggles with the demands of growing up. It is also a great way to establish healthy exercise habits which can last a lifetime.

What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching philosophy is quite simple: KIDS FIRST! While I work hard to teach solid tennis fundamentals and both the physical and mental skills necessary for success on the tennis court, each child is more important than the game itself. Tennis is an ideal means of teaching resilience, confidence, sportsmanship, task management, and personal health and wellness.

What would you like to say to someone who is considering tennis?

There’s no better place to try tennis than at the RAC! We offer programs for all ages and abilities. It is fun, can be both intellectually and physically challenging, and can be played socially or competitively. Tennis offers something for everyone!

“Fun Fact” about Sabine few people know about:

I love stand-up paddle boarding and have competed in 5K races!

About

Steve was born and raised in St. Cloud, Minnesota. After playing collegiate tennis as St John’s University he joined the RAC tennis department in 2006. He is a certified USTA High-performance coach and is also the head coach of the Rochester Lourdes Boys Tennis team. In his spare time he loves spending time with his wife Jill and young daughter Cameron.

What classes do you teach?

I coach most levels of tennis at the RAC but am mostly involved in the Junior competitive program (ACE) and adult tennis/programming.

What do you like about the RAC?

The RAC is a truly unique facility and the tennis community is very tight-knit. It is the ideal place for kids. The clay courts are a great teaching tool for adults/juniors and with 19 total courts we have the flexibility to do special events/camps that other clubs can’t offer. I also love our tennis director Ben Maes.

What do you enjoy about being a tennis professional?

I love seeing players improve and work on their games and being a part of that difficult process. It is also awesome to see junior players mature over the years and see them grow up and become young men/women. The relationships that you forge over the years are what I value most about the job.

What is your coaching philosophy?

My coaching philosophy is to make tennis fun, but eventually the “fun” is feeling that you’re working hard and improving. I think it’s absolutely crucial to build the correct foundation on each shot, whether juniors or adults, so that improvement is continual. I also think great tennis players are ones that truly enjoy the mental battle of tennis. So I try to help guide players to embrace that mindset and to seek out competition, not shy away from it.

“Fun Fact” about Steve that few people know about:

I was in a band in high-school and college named Fred Savage and the Unbeatables. We have three albums and our sound was adequately described once as a “combination of Chicago, Ben Folds and Elvis Costello.”

About

Samuel was born in Chennai, India. He has started his own companies after retiring from IBM after 30 years. Samuel has won the State Senior Badminton Games for the last 10 years. His other interests are playing the drums, being there for others, and spending time with his family.

What led you to work at the RAC?

I have been a member at the RAC for over 20 years and I have been playing badminton at the RAC for the last 15 years. When the volunteer coordinator of the badminton program at that time moved to Hawaii, I just helped to keep the program going and then in 2013 was offered to run the program. It has been a great opportunity and we have now over 60 players on the roster (up from around 10 in 2013).

What would you like to say to someone who is considering Badminton lessons?

Give it a try - I give lessons for all ages and all levels from beginner to competitive players. You may not guess it, but played at high levels it is the second most aerobic racket sport. Also, it is easy on the arm and one can very quickly pick up the basics to be able to play with the group.

What do you enjoy about being a Badminton professional?

I like leading and encouraging the players during our 3 times a week scheduled playing time. I also enjoy bringing in new players to participate. It is great to see the results of our on court coaching and sharing of tips - especially in the form of seeing improvement on a daily basis and all having fun and wanting to come out to play.

What is your teaching philosophy?

First is to understand the expectations of the player - what would they like to achieve and in what time frame? Then motivating them through leadership and coaching to get them to where they want to be. This includes selecting the type of drills and explaining why and how they apply to real time play. It also includes constant encouragement and feedback on their progress. Finally, I also like to keep their parents or supporters updated as well.

About

Wyatt Lippert was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up there up until he graduated from Lakota West high school. He played varsity tennis all four years of high school and placed top three in the state tournament all four years. His junior year he won the state title. Wyatt then got a scholarship to play at The Ohio State University. He played for the Buckeyes for four years and then played futures and challengers for the following three years. He finally returned to Cincinnati and learned that he loved the coaching aspect of the game. He became an instructor in his hometown and worked there for four years before moving to Rochester with his wife Madison. Wyatt enjoys coaching, billiards, golf, and meeting new people.

What classes do you teach?
I enjoy teaching all ages and all levels but most of my experience has been with high level juniors and those who want to take the game a bit more seriously.

What do you like about the RAC?
I love the fact that the RAC offers every instrument one would need to succeed in a healthy lifestyle. The staff is very welcoming and friendly and the facility has everything a tennis player needs to reach their full potential.

What do you enjoy about being a tennis professional?
The best part about being a tennis pro is that I get to witness someone grow not only as a player but as a person. I get to have a unique relationship with each student and watch them challenge themselves day in and day out to become not just a great player but a great person.

What is your coaching philosophy?
I have a unique approach to coaching where I instruct based on each individual player’s strength and weaknesses. Some players might need to be motivated a bit more than others and some might need a bit more of a relaxed strategy in order to reach their potential. I really focus on the mental and strategy part of the game so my player can utilize their game to the fullest. Every match can be won with the right mindset.

“Fun Fact” about Wyatt few people know about:
My senior year of high school I was on the cover of ESPN Rise magazine for winning state and breaking the record for most consecutive wins in a row in Ohio state high school history.

About

Wendy was born in Austin, Minnesota and has lived in Rochester since she was a first grader. She started playing racquetball when she was 15 years old at the Supreme Court Racquetball Club (which is Kuehn Motors indoor showroom now). Away from work she enjoys spending time with family, golfing, camping, knitting and reading.​

What led you to work at the RAC?

I was a stay at home mom with two children and was looking for a job a couple of days a week. So I started working in the racquetball department in 1998. Still here & loving the job.

What classes do you teach?

Racquetball I teach private or group lessons. On the tennis side of teaching I teach Red, Orange & Green Ball classes, and futures.

Share something people might find interesting about you:

I am the oldest pro in the racquetball and tennis department, and have 26 years of service here at the RAC. The tennis kiddos call me Wacky Wendy. I am nana to Eleanor & Emerson.

Interests?

I love to keep busy and stay active. Spending time at the lake, reading, knitting, kayaking, paddle boarding, pickleball, most important spending time with family & friends.