Eastside Tennis and Fitness


 

Our Staff

 


Tennis

Brian Kean, General Manager

Brian Kean has recently been named General Manager of the Eastside Tennis and Fitness Club. 

Kean's passion for tennis and involvement in the community along with his strong business background makes him the perfect partner and member of ETF's exceptional staff.

Brian Kean has been teaching and directing tennis programs in the Grosse Pontes for seventeen years.  While in the area, Kean has coached high school tennis at University Liggett, Grosse Pointe North and Grosse Pointe South.  He has also helped direct programs at the Grosse Pointe Farms Pier Park, Grosse Pointe Woods Park, the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, the Grosse Pointe Hunt Club and the Grosse Pointe Club.

Mark Miller, USPTA

Mark has worked as a part-time tennis pro at ETF for several years and will now lend his outstanding experience and credentials to our adult and junior tennis programs.  From 1990-96 Mark worked at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas and at the bent Tree CC in Dallas.  He was the assistant director for physical conditioning and traveled throughout the US coaching the camps elite junior players and working with USTA adult teams.  He became the head professional and Director of Junior Development at the High Pointe Tennis Center in Plano, Texas from 1996-2002.  Mark had over 400 juniors per session in his program.  Many of his players have gone on to play National Junior tournaments and earn college scholarships.  

Ryan Dloski, USPTA   

Ryan is a former #1 singles player for ULS and Grosse Pointe North, where he graduated.  Ryan went on to walk-on to the University of Kentucky tennis team when they were top 25 in the NCAA rankings and graduated with academic honors.  Ryan has been teaching tennis on and off since 1994 strictly at ETF and received his United States Professional Tennis Association professional teaching certification in December 2006.  Ryan is a fierce competitor and is currently ranked fifth in the nation in the USPTA Men's Open division of competition.  Ryan strives to provide quality instruction to all skill levels and aims to incorporate practical and technical lessons to enjoy the lifetime game of tennis.

Kathy Flynn, USPTA   

Kathy's specialty is teaching new players...young and old.  She taught in Grosse Pointe for seven years as the head tennis professional at Grosse Pointe Windmill Pointe Park.  Kathy is now in her fifth year of teaching at ETF.  Her high energy and enthusiasm are infectious.

Sebastien Foka   

Internationally ranked player in France and played number one for Wayne State University where he is now the assistant coach for both the men"s and women's tennis teams.  

Ken Rychwalski
Ken played tennis for Kalamazoo College and has been a teaching professional in Grosse Pointe for over twenty years. Ken enjoys working with players of all ages and abilities and currently coaches several ranked junior players. Ken teaches at a school in the area. His hobbies include music and collecting antiques.

Sara Sessions, Activities Director

Sara Sessions is passionate about tennis.  She grew up in a “tennis family” and has been hooked on the game ever since.  With eight  years of experience as activities director, Sara has organized multiple tennis programs at the Grosse Pointe Hunt Club and Wimbledon Racquet Club such as tennis leagues, drills, club tournaments, mixers, travel teams, USTA teams, and junior team tennis. Sara’s tennis fundraisers for organizations such as Make- a- Wish Foundation and Cystic Fibrosis have been a big success.

As head pro at the Grosse Pointe Woods Park for the past eight years, Sara has instilled a love for the game of tennis in over a hundred junior players every summer. Sara loves to write the club newsletter, design promotional materials and decorate our bulletin boards. 

Brandon Still

Brandon Still comes to us after a very successful high school and college career in tennis.   Brandon was a 1st team All State high school player, as well as a 1st Team All-MIAA Conference #1 singles and #1 doubles player for Albion College.  In addition to success as a player, Brandon has enjoyed many years of coaching tennis at all different levels.  Brandon began his teaching as a part of Wimbledon’s Junior Program over twelve years ago.  Since then he has been the assistant coach at Grosse Pointe North High School and at Albion College.  Brandon takes a relaxed approach to teaching, focusing on proper strokes and strategy, good footwork and a sound mental approach to the game.  Brandon enjoys working with players of all levels to help them attain their goals.  Whether a player is trying to make their school’s varsity team, or trying to move up from 2.5 to 3.0, Brandon is ready to help.  Brandon is available for private or group lessons and has several cardio classes and drill sessions available.

Jay Shaheen, USPTA
Jay is a certified member of the USPTA and has taught tennis for ten years. He is a high school and college sports official for both volleyball and softball. Among his many talents, Jay plays the drums. His tennis philosophy is, "If learning to play tennis is not fun, very few players will stick with it. I try to teach tennis while having fun and having the students interacting with each other at the same time.

Gary Bodenmiller, USPTA, CEO
Gary has taught tennis to thousands of juniors and adults over the past forty years. He has received many awards from the Midwest United States Professional Tennis Association for his contributions to the game of tennis. In 1999, he was named national runner-up by the USPTA as the professional who contributes most to tennis in their community. In January 2008, Gary received the distinction of being named "Midwest Tennis Pro of the Year".  Gary collects tennis memorabilia and plays golf for relaxation. His tennis philosophy is, "Tennis is the game for a lifetime. People play tennis for a number of different reasons, but tennis should always be fun."

 


Fitness

Randy Stebbins, NASM, Personal Training Director   As a personal trainer, Randy provides a proven integrated approach to a healthy lifestyle.  He believes that exercise not only enables and energizes the body but also stimulates the brain.  It's not just about walking on a treadmill, using a resistance machine or two or lifting weights anymore.  Today's training is referred to as functional training.  It is goal oriented, incorporates multiple muscle groups working in unison, and includes the core, balance, joint stability, flexibility, and strength.  We use a wide variety of equipment with an emphasis on proper form.  We draw on a variety of disciplines such as yoga, pilates, bodybuilding, weightlifting, physical therapy and various athletic aerobic activities.  The result is that the body becomes fitter faster.  With a lifetime of experience, Randy has been able to train a wide variety of clients including young athletes to mature adults.  His workouts draw on his experiences as a body builder, marathoner, Army paratrooper, multi-sport athlete and certification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine.  Randy is still an active competitive softball player and understands the value of proper training.  He was also a coach and manager of several youth sports teams in Grosse Pointe for over 12 years and was the past president of the Eastern Suburban Football League.  His workouts are programmed specifically for each client with an emphasis on variety with a little bit of fun mixed in.  Whether you desire to lose weight, enhance athletic performance, improve your everyday life or just build strength, Randy is the catalyst who helps you reach your goals.                                

PJ Vlahantones, NASM is a dedicated personal trainer who has experience in training a wide range of cliental.  He is I.S.S.A. and Power Systems certified as well as college educated in strength training and nutrition.  PJ is the strength and conditioning coach of the Grosse Pointe North Varsity Hockey Teams and utilizes functional, core, and sports specific training.  He focuses on assisting people make customized lifestyle changes like decreasing body fat, increasing lean muscle mass and enhancing their bodies and overall health.

Susan Harder,  NASM

In 2008, Susan said "good-bye" to the media industry to become a NASM Certified Personal Trainer for us at ETF. Susan has worked out at several clubs in the Detroit area before finding a home at Eastside Tennis & Fitness Club.  Susan believes in the Functional Training methods to increase core and overall strength, improve stability, and flexibility as well as maintaining a fitness level which will decrease your chances of heart disease, certain cancers, obesity, and many other adult on-set problems.  You will find working out with Susan to be fun and somewhat entertaining.  Susan believes having a good time is essential to a great workout. 

Jenny-Allan Passalacqua
Jenny is a Master Massage Therapist.  A graduate of Irene's Myomassology Institute, she continues to expand her education in advanced massage therapies. Deep tissue, myofascial release and advanced Reiki are among her specialties.  Jenny's latest certification is in the Rossiter Method.  Jenny is passionate about her work and is eager to meet the needs of her clients.
 She is available for all members, both tennis and fitness.  

Evie Russell   

Evie is a Master Massage Therapist. She is a true master at her craft.  She will have you relaxed, muscles no longer burning, and ready to take on the day.  Massage eases the pain of tired and sore muscles.  Including massage into your tennis and fitness routine can help prevent injury and promote healing when injuries do occur.

 

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