2 0 2 3 A W A R D S
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2023 AWARD WINNERS
Tennis Professional of the Year
Seth Meyer
Seth has been the Tennis Director and Head Pro at Mid-coast Recreation Center in Rockport, Maine since 2005. From junior players with collegiate aspirations to adults who are new to tennis, Seth takes great pride in teaching players of all levels. Seth finds building relationships and helping others to be incredibly rewarding. In 2016, Seth started the MRC’s Red Ball Program, which provides a free racquet to juniors that is theirs to keep. The Red Ball Program program has been instrumental in building their junior program and it provides an important service to his community. The program receives 200400 registrations annually. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Seth runs two annual benefit tournaments with his family, the Serving to Prevent Hunger, and the Serving to Prevent Homelessness Tournaments. These events have raised over $400K to help those in need. Seth has received several awards such as the USTA New England Tennis Family of the Year in 2018, and the Maine Tennis Association’s “Humanitarian Award” in 2018.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
George Basco Lifetime Achievement Award
Michael Mercier
For over 40 years, Michael Louis Mercier has instilled a passion for tennis in players of all ages and abilities. When he was Harvard University’s Head Tennis Professional, Harvard’s community program grew to more than 600 active players, ranging from beginners to collegiate-ranked players. Mercier expanded the school’s tennis offerings exponentially, establishing more than 20 USTA teams and building robust programs for both developing and high performance players. As Director of Operations for the Boston Lobsters, he broadened the region’s tennis community, increasing attendance to 8,000 and doubling volunteer participation during his term.
As a USTA National High Performance Certified Coach, Mercier has worked extensively with several nationally and internationally top ranked junior players. He has coached numerous schools in the area, leading teams to winning seasons and state championships, the latest being Beverly High School tennis team’s undefeated 2016 season.
Mercier has earned numerous awards, including the USPTA New England Tennis Professional of the Year, Diversity Tennis Pro of the Year, and Wheelchair Tennis Pro of the Year He has also won the Brad Parks Wheelchair Tennis Pro of the Year, and Wheelchair Champion of the Year-Racquet Sports Industry Magazine. Mercier has conducted hundreds of wheelchair sports camps, lectures and presentations, and is the author of “Adapted Tennis Guidelines for the Athletics for All Task Force.”
Mercier has lead and organized community tennis programs across the New England area, including work with Special Olympics, Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country - Canon Ski Mountain and Maureen Connolly Brinker (“Little Mo”) Tennis Foundation. He is currently USTA New England's Wheelchair Tennis Chairman and a member of the USTA Tennis On Campus National Committee.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
Paddle Tennis Professional of the Year
Scott Slobin
Scott Slobin has been the Director of Racquet Sports at Myopia Hunt Club since 2018. In that time he has significantly increased participation in all racquet sports! Here are some of his accomplishments in the paddle sport realm at his club:
Created North Shore Women’s Tennis and Paddle Flex Leagues with over 250 participants
Created and implemented a new master plan for racquets that included the addition of a new platform tennis court, new decking, and observation platform
Added 2 APTA sanctioned women’s paddle tournaments to the event schedule
Created a local private school program for paddle and squash for after-school instruction and play
2023 AWARD WINNERS
High School Tennis Coach of the Year
Lynn Miller
Lynn has coached high school tennis after she retired from college coaching in 2016. She is coaching at Kearsarge High School and seems to have a gift for developing players quickly. In 2023 and 2021, the Kearsarge boys’ tennis team won the Division III NHIAA Div. III State Championship. In 2022, they were finalists.
Lynn has developed players who have never played on a team, to graduating as a top starter. Lynn’s goal was to make a difference in tennis when she moved up to NH after retiring as Head Tennis Coach at Wheaton. Coaching the high school boys team has been one area where she felt she could make a significant difference in the development of tennis in her area. Lynn also offered local High School Coaching clinics free of charge, to interested local coaches who want to learn more about coaching high school tennis.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
USPTA Star Award
Nestor Bernabe
The STAR AWARD for Nestor has been 20+ years in the making. While at Sonoma State, where he was an All-American, he ran a free summer program named ONE LOVE TENNIS for students ages 6-16. The program was run on two courts and the 6-week program reached 150 new tennis players.
Three years ago Nestor formed ONE LOVE PROVIDENCE to offer free tennis lessons to any student under the age of 18 in Rhode Island. In its first year, One Love Providence had 68 players. In year 2 they had 96 players, and this year's goal is to have 150 players! One Love Providence has also partnered with the Providence Afterschool Alliance (PASA) and has run programs at Nathan Bishop Middle School, Hope High School, and the Alan Shawn Feinstein Elementary School. Currently, Nestor and his One Love Providence organization has reached over 250 students, and raised over $50,000 through grants and partnerships. USTA Rhode Island and Bank Newport have been yearly partners as well as many members of the Providence Tennis Club donating to the non-profit!
Nestor earned a scholarship to attend a tennis academy as a youth and now he feels it’s his turn to pay it forward through grant writing, and door-to-door flyer drops, in order to provide scholarships for youth players that show passion and a desire to be tennis players.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
Industry ExcellenceDietz Bowl Award
David MacBurnie
David’s journey began in May 2006 in Brookline, MA, where he embarked on a challenging role without the luxury of an existing database. MacBurnie swiftly built a robust database, growing it from 500 families in 06 to growing the database now over 4,000 families in the greater Boston area. In 2009, MacBurnie's expertise was recognized when NETRESULTS was awarded the contract to manage the Palm Beach's municipal operations both were USTA Facilities of the Year. This marked the beginning of a series of successes, including securing the contract with HCC in Tampa Bay in 2011, where he managed USTA Florida's largest 10 & under facility
Under his leadership, NETRESULTS provided services to over 7,000 families on the east coast by 2017. At the core of MacBurnie's approach is the development of innovative programs that prioritize both technical growth and situational play, delivered in a high cardio fashion for the adult and juniors.
Additionally, MacBurnie's commitment to providing a full circle of experience, including instructional, social, and competitive opportunities has kept his players active, enjoying a 72% retention rate. In the junior realm, MacBurnie's program includes developmental pathways and high-performance programs, engaging over 500 kids annually. The summer "Jam Week" camp program, which has hosted over 900 kids, stands as a testament to his dedication to nurturing young talent and fostering a love for the sport. MacBurnie's success is not only measured by his innovative programs but also by his commitment to inclusivity and superior customer service.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
Elevate Award
Dan Cardiff
Dan moved to RI in April 2023 and has made an immediate impact in the area. Dan works closely with the Hall of Fame NJTL, Team Fame, program by running a weekly outreach program at the local elementary school. Dan plays on a 5.0 USTA team and is trying to organize more opportunities for players to play tennis and improve in the game. To that end, Dan has started a men’s "pro league" which consists of 4.5-5.5 level players to connect and play Friday nights followed by pizza and drinks.
In addition to teaching all levels at the club, he is the assistant coach for URI Women’s Tennis Team. Dan was just named the Director of Tournaments for the City of Newport. He will be running the Newport City Championships, which is over 100 years old and consists of 6 divisions.
Dan also won the USTA National Open Grass court Singles event in 2022, and competed in the singles and doubles grass tournament in 2023.
2023 AWARD WINNERS Diversity Award
Darryl
Baynes
A member of the USPTA since 2000. Darryl has been an integral support for Franklin Park Tennis Association (FPTA), a Community Tennis Association of the USTA. FPTA’s primarily serves under-represented and under-served communities surrounding Boston’s Franklin Park. Darryl has been a consistent and avid supporter of the programs offered since 2008, when he was able to coordinate the first racquet demo day for the organization with support from other USPTA members. Whether he was getting up at 7am to support summer program youth coaches, working with developing beginners, or running invitational programs for advanced players, Darryl has always given one hundred percent.
Darryl’s professionalism is always in the forefront. Darryl is always prepared and ready with a lesson plan and makes appropriate adjustments for sessions that can often exceed 20 players on a court. He learns every player's name and builds a connection to make sure every player feels recognized, this is extremely important in engaging new players. He works well with the other coaches and provides support to other coaches and volunteers.
Darryl has been involved with FPTA as a consultant and an occasional fill-in coach along with many other capacities. Although he is the most senior coach for the program, Darryl does not hesitate to pick up a broom and sweep off the court or help set up or put away equipment. Most notable is Darryl’s ability to take players under his wing and connect with them in a way that helps bring out the best in their game.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
Small Facility Manager of the Year
Rob Manter
Rob Manter has been owner and manager of Maine Pines Racquet & Fitness since 1998. Since that time, he has been named Facility Manager of the year three times, the club was New England Tennis Club of the year in 2007, and the club has been considered one of the top 50 Tennis Welcome Centers in the country since 2006. In 2006, Rob added a very reflective internal ceiling system that has cut electric and oil use dramatically while improving the overall quality of lighting for tennis play. In 2016, Rob added all LED lighting throughout the club including on the tennis courts, in the aerobics studio, the lobby, outdoor lighting, etc. This reduced electricity demand by close to 65%. In 2013, the club started transitioning to solar with a hot water solar system and in 2023, the club went totally solar with the addition of 406 solar roof top panels. Maine Pines is now almost 100% green with respect to electricity.
Under Rob’s ownership, Maine Pines has developed into a quality fitness center to go along with the very successful tennis division. The area’s largest aerobics studio, along with fully equipped cardio and strength training rooms have added much to the club. The Pine Tree Studio was added for Yoga in 2008, and the Spinning/Pilates room along with the Mid Coast Therapy Center a few years later. Since 2022, five indoor pickleball courts have been added to the Maine Pines mix.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
Large Facility Manager of the Year
Tom Gross
Tom Gross has been the Director of Tennis/Head Tennis Professional at the Waterville Valley Tennis Center in Waterville Valley, NH since 1981. In 1995, Gross purchased the Waterville Valley Tennis Center and the Sports Center from the Waterville Company. His impressive knowledge both in the tennis industry as well as on the court has seen the growth and expansion of the venue and resort. Tom manages 18 outdoor clay tennis courts, and 2 indoor courts. Tom and his staff provide private instruction, group instruction, clinics, camps, tournaments, and social tennis events.
Thanks to Gross, Waterville Valley Tennis Center is consistently named a ’Top 50’ Tennis Resorts in America by Tennis Magazine. With Tennis Resorts Online, they have been ranked a Gold Star Resort multiple times, with a Top 15 ranking in the World for Best Over-All Tennis Resorts, in addition to being ranked Top 5 for Best Setting, Best Value for the Dollar, Best for Families, and Best Over-all recreation. In 2023, Waterville Valley Tennis Center was ranked “One of the Top Tennis Resorts in the World” by Tennis Resorts Online!!
2023 AWARD WINNERS
Al Rogers Memorial Award
William Shardlow
For Bill Shardlow, going to college, earning a Master's degree, becoming a teacher, learning the sport of tennis in his twenties, and becoming a principal, and a coach was something he never originally thought possible. But his commitment to a life of learning, and his genuine humility, allowed Bill to become one of the very best, in every endeavor he pursued.
His pursuit of learning never waned. At age 66, when Bill was beyond retirement age, he became the head coach of the Yarmouth High School Tennis Team. This new role was in addition to his teaching position at Harrison Middle School, his job at Portland Country Club, and his stringing business. When most would be winding down their careers, Bill continued to explore new opportunities for learning and growth.
He passionately pursued his learning by taking continuing education courses and becoming a true expert at his craft. A teaching pro with over 40 years of experience, Bill always knew what tip to give a player or fellow coach. He knew to keep things simple and precise and not burden the learner with too much information. While his years of continuing education helped develop players on the court, his players benefited the most from the lessons they learned off the court. Bill always taught his players that one's character, dignity, and humanity always come before tennis.
His players and students also learned from the best. Bill helped countless people along the way and empowered them to be better versions of themselves Bill always recognized the players who weren’t the stars of the team and guided them to become excellent people and players too
Everything he did was for love He loved tennis He loved working He loved teaching kids He loved helping kids improve He wanted to give back He wanted to build a love of the sport, lifelong players, and to create momentum for something special in our community, with the desire to pass it along.
2023 AWARD WINNERS
Regional Tennis Professional of the Year
John Tracy
John Tracy has been a teaching professional at the Newburyport Racquet Club, in Newburyport, MA for 27 years. He is also the Head Pickleball Professional. During this time he has coached numerous ladies’, men’s, and junior teams. John started a junior 1418 year old USTA team that made it to nationals. John assists with Youth Services Programs and Net Generation programs. John also assisted in a Ukraine fundraiser that was held at the Newburyport Racquet Club.
Prior to Newburyport, John worked at the Woburn Racquet Club and the Annisquam Yacht Club. While at Annisquam, John provided tennis scholarships for underprivileged children to attend the tennis program.