Tennis Center Pros

Adrian Clarke was born in Barbados and came to America as a teenager. For a year and a half he trained at the Port Washington Tennis Academy before receiving a full tennis scholarship to Hampton University in Virginia. Adrian played the Davis Cup for the Commonwealth Caribbean and later for Barbados, whose team he also captained for two years. Besides being the Director of Tennis at three resorts in Barbados, Adrian has taught at the Wall Street Racket Club, the East River Tennis Club and was director of the Reebok Junior Program at Flushing Meadows. Adrian has taught at the Prospect Park Tennis Center for fifteen years and was appointed director in 2021. Adrian is also a professional steelpan player and enjoys writing.

Avery grew up playing tennis with his father in Ohio, developing a deep love for the game at an early age. He went on to play at Kenyon College for a team consistently ranked in the top ten of Division III. He brings over ten years of coaching experience, having worked with people of all ages and skill levels. He’s excited to start his next chapter at PPTC, helping players achieve their goals with an emphasis on form, mindset, and match play tactics.

Roger Brown is from the Caribbean island of Grenada, known as the Spice Isle. He has been a freelance tennis instructor and racket stringer for many years and is pleased to bring his knowledge and experience to the Tennis Center's Junior Development Program and other programs.

A former Olympian, Jenny competed on the WTA tour from 1986-1997, reaching a career-high world rankings of #45 in Singles and #20 in Doubles. She had career singles wins over top-ten players Hana Mandlikova, Zina Garrison and Pam Shriver; reached the Wimbledon mixed doubles finals; and was a semifinalist at the French and US Opens in Women’s Doubles and a quarter-finalist at Wimbledon. She played singles for Australia at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, and was a four-time member of the Australian Federation Cup Team. She holds a BA in Film from Hunter College.

Paul served as the Director of the Prospect Park Tennis Center from 2004-2021. He received the top rating upon certification by the USPTA. Paul still enjoys playing and was ranked #5 in the East in the Men’s 45 Singles and #2 in the Father and Son Doubles. He enjoys teaching all levels of play and the dynamics of group instruction. He has taught tennis at several respected tennis venues in the US, Caribbean, and Europe. In 2006 Paul and his wife began the Special Aces program for kids with special needs. Paul is also a visual artist whose work has been shown at the Brooklyn Museum, Site Santa Fe and several other art museums and galleries in the US and abroad. His work can be viewed at paulcampbellstudio.com

Zac started playing tennis at a young age and developed a deep love for the game. He loves teaching all levels but holds a special place for teaching youth. Zac believes that tennis is for everyone and understands how to scaffold for differently abled children, and adults of all skill levels. When not on the tennis court, Zac can be found at any of the local playgrounds chasing his daughter.

Shelly is a Guyanese-born Libra who recently migrated to the USA. She's a former Guyanese national singles and doubles player as well as a former National Football Captain. She has over ten years experience as the Guyanese National Junior Tennis Coach and more than fifteen years working with players of all levels. A certified International Tennis Federation level 2 coach and Guyanese National Junior Tennis Coordinator, Shelly is passionate about seeing her students improve. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, attending sports events, and giving back to community projects.

Felix Garcia grew up playing tennis in Ecuador and competed nationally while he lived there. He earned a scholarship to go to Missouri Valley College where he played for the tennis and soccer teams. In Missouri, Felix completed his Business Management degree and later moved to NYC where he now lives with his wife and kids. Felix enjoys playing and coaching tennis. He also plays soccer, music and trains for boxing/MMA.

Anna was the captain of the St John’s Women’s Tennis Team, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management. Originally from the Republic of Georgia, she was a member of the country’s first tennis academy and selected as one of the three top players. She has taught at the Saw Mill Club, the Brooklyn Racquet Club, and CityView Racquet Club.

Eduardo was ranked #1 in Caracas, Venezuela, in the 16- and 18-and-under divisions. He won the Prospect Park Tennis Center Championships in 2009, and was a finalist in 2010. Known for his backhand, Eduardo has taught at East River Tennis Club, Tennisport and Total Tennis. He is an accomplished visual artist who has exhibited at the Queens Museum, the Bronx Museum of Art and the Carrillo Gil Museum of Contemporary Art in Mexico.

The Tennis Center's youngest pro, Euly was introduced to tennis at 6 years old in North Carolina and quickly developed a passion for the sport. Living in North Carolina for most of her youth, she spent a majority of her time training and playing competitively, maintaining a top 10 state ranking in the 16 & 18U divisions. Euly spends her time between university and working at the Center where she especially loves coaching children.

Originally from Mexico, Lucy played in Houston, Texas as a youth, and reached a juniors ranking in the top 30. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Houston. She has been teaching at Prospect Park Tennis Center for nearly a decade now and loves teaching children. Aside from coaching tennis, she also enjoys Salsa dancing and is part of a performance team in Manhattan. She enjoys adventures in the outdoors such as hiking and loves playing tennis with friends and USTA teams.

Nigel played Davis Cup for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, and was the team captain. He studied and played tennis at Harding University in Arkansas, and taught tennis in Italy for seven years, where he coached many top-level junior players and became fluent in Italian. Nigel also has taught at the East River Tennis Club and at Tennisport.

A staff pro since 1999, Woody played Davis Cup for Haiti, where he was ranked #2 in the country, and was the Inter-Caribbean Junior Champion. He is also head pro at Lincoln Terrace, and is an avid soccer player.

Nadzeya grew up in Belarus, Soviet Union, and was invited to study and play for Auburn University at Montgomery in Alabama. She graduated with four national tennis titles, and a diploma with honors.

Kenji Michaud started playing tennis at the age of 17 in the Tennis Center's Junior Development Program. Two years later, while pursuing his BA in music as a classical pianist, he would play on the Ithaca College club team. Kenji is a PTR certified instructor and enjoys teaching both kids and adults. He works as Program Coordinator at the Center.

An instructor at the Prospect Park Tennis Center for more than 20 years, Winston is a gifted Pee Wee coach who led the Columbia Grammar Prep team to several championships. A head pro at the Knickerbocker Field Club, Winston has conducted teacher training sessions for the NYJTL and has worked in the USTA Player Development Program. He is a graduate of the University of Vermont, and is passionate about helping children with disabilities learn to play tennis.

Steve Ross is a highly experienced tennis player and coach who was ranked number one in the East in the men's division in the 1970s and later number one in the men's 35s. In 2013 he was inducted into the Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame. Steve has been coaching at the PPTC for ten years and especially enjoys working in the Junior Development Program. He is originally from Miami, FL.

Vlad Safovich is a USPTR certified tennis instructor who has been involved in the sport for over 10 years. Vlad teaches various age groups at different levels, ranging from 10 and under to adults, and beginner to advanced. Before discovering his love for tennis and launching his teaching career, Vlad played soccer professionally. He utilizes his athletic background to emphasize a balance between all elements of the game, mental and physical, while also paying attention to the finer details, such as mastering footwork. Vlad combines his passion for teaching and the love of the sport to positively impact his students.

An instructor at the Prospect Park Tennis Center since 1989, Todd specializes in teaching adults. He learned to play in Minnesota, where he played Division III Tennis. He has been a Head Pro at the Knickerbocker Field Club since 1994. Todd plays rhythm guitar and sings vocals in the band Blue Plate Special.