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Teaching Staff (continued) |
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Olivier Morel was born in France and started playing the ATP Tour in 1991 after finishing high school. Prior to turning pro, he won many junior tournaments in France such as La Coupe Galea, Normandy Championship, Open of Paris and more. For the past 13 years he has played some of the biggest international tournaments, including Grand Slams, Grand Prix, Challengers and Futures. In 1997, Olivier achieved his ranking on the ATP Tour #360 in Singles and #163 in Doubles. Olivier has defeated some of the world’s top players when they were ranked, including: Sebastien Grosjean (#10), Roger Federer (#13), Xavier Malisse (#19), Arnaud Clement (#43), Dominick Herbaty (#52), Julien Boutter (#54) and others. He coaches all levels and ages. |
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David Laudati has many years of competitive playing and coaching experience. After college, he achieved a top-10 national amateur ranking and began to play the satellite tour. He taught morning clinics and trained for two years at the Seguso-Basset Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, FL where he learned the finer points of the game from such players as Vincent Spadea, Pat Cash, and Andre Agassi. When David retired from the tour at age 26, he had completed his B.S. degree in physics at Rutgers University located in New Brunswick, NJ where he was also the assistant coach for the Rutger’s women’s team (1996-1998). David also taught tennis in adult and junior clinics at JKS Sports located in Mountainside, NJ when he was not on tour, and later at New Jersey’s Plainfield Country Club (1999-2008) he taught tennis, paddle, and squash to juniors and adults before arriving at Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club. He teaches players of all ages and levels. |
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Nick Sousanis grew up outside of a farming town in Southeastern Michigan, where he was educated in nature and on the tennis courts. He learned the game from his father, Dean Sousanis, a Michigan Hall of Fame Coach, whom he played for in high school. From there, Nick continued his tennis career at Western Michigan University and majored in mathematics. After college, Nick spent several years on the satellite tour competing around the US, Canada, as well as in Spain and Croatia. As a teacher, he brings his experience as a player and what he gained from the insight of his coaches including his dad, as well as Les Dodson and Gilbert Rincon. Over the past 11 years, Nick’s students have ranged from high school standouts and highly ranked junior players to beginning adults and tots. Nick will be entering a doctoral program in education at Columbia University this fall 2008 and will continue to teach tennis here at MPRC. Nick’s teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that everyone is capable of grasping the fundamentals of tennis as to make it a rewarding and healthy experience. He appreciates the importance of connecting to his students as individuals and empowering them to explore the possibilities inherent in themselves. He teaches all levels and all ages. |
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Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club 450 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036 Phone: 212-594-0554 Fax: 212-695-6883 |
