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SPORTIME LAKE ISLE, JMTA WESTCHESTER
660 White Plains Road, Eastchester, NY 10709
914-777-5151

Staff


Bennett Schlansky
Bennett Schlansky
Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer, SPORTIME Clubs, Sr. Managing Director, SPORTIME RI, Westchester, Capital Region & JMTA

Ben was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, where he first started playing tennis. He is a graduate of Brooklyn Friends School and of Vassar College, where he received his BA in 1992, and where he played four years of college tennis and was team captain his senior year. Ben received his JD from Fordham University School of Law in 1999, and was admitted to the NYS and Washington DC Bars in 2000. During the summers of 1989 through 1992, Ben was a tennis director and coach at the Amagansett EastSide Tennis Club in Amagansett, NY (now SPORTIME Amagansett), the first club owned and operated by SPORTIME founder and Chief Executive Officer, Claude Okin. Between college and law school, Ben spent four years as an advocate and federal lobbyist for the Eastern Paralyzed Veteran Association. After law school, he was an associate at Seward & Kissel, LLP before rejoining the SPORTIME team in 2001.

John McEnroe
John McEnroe
Founder and Director, JMTA

John McEnroe is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. He held the #1 world ranking in singles for 170 weeks between 1980 and 1985 and was the #1 doubles player in the world for a record 257 weeks. He is the winner of 7 Grand Slam singles titles, including 4 US Open titles and 3 Wimbledon titles. He is also widely considered to be the greatest doubles player ever, having won 10 Grand Slam doubles titles. He is the greatest Davis Cup player in history, and he also captained the US Davis Cup Team. He is an Emmy-nominated commentator for CBS, NBC, BBC, ESPN and USA. John grew up in New York City, where he graduated from the Trinity School. He attended Stanford University, winning an NCAA team and singles title his freshman year. He continues to live in New York City, where he has raised his 6 children. John partnered with Sportime to open the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in September 2010.

Patrick McEnroe
Patrick McEnroe
Executive Director, JMTA

Patrick grew up in Douglaston, NY and trained in the New York area. As a junior, he reached the semifinals of Wimbledon and the US Open boys' singles in 1983. Patrick then partnered Luke Jensen to win the French Open Junior doubles and the USTA Boys' 18 National and Clay Court titles in 1984. He made his first impact on the professional tour that same year, teaming up with brother John to win the doubles title at Richmond, Virginia. Patrick won the Men's Doubles Gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games with Jensen, and helped Stanford University, as team captain, to win the NCAA team championship in 1986 and 1988. He graduated from Stanford in 1988 with a degree in political science, and then joined the professional tennis tour. On the tour, Patrick won one singles title and 16 doubles titles, including the 1989 French Open Men's Doubles title. During his 10‐year professional career, Patrick achieved career‐high rankings of World No. 28 in singles and World No. 3 in doubles. After retiring from the tour in 1998, Patrick had a successful run as U.S. Davis Cup captain, the longest tenured captain in U.S. history, winning the cup in 2007. After leaving his Davis Cup role in 2010, McEnroe focused on his television commentary work, and also served as the General Manager of Player Development for the USTA until mid-2015. Patrick joined Sportime and JMTA in 2017.

Mike Barrell
Mike Barrell
Executive Director of Tennis, SPORTIME Clubs

Mike hails from the United Kingdom and has been a coach for more than 30 years. As a coach and tennis consultant worldwide, he has worked and delivered training in over 80 countries, supporting the development of tennis on five continents. Mike has been a keynote speaker at three ITF Worldwide Conferences and has presented at multiple USPTA World Conferences, PTR International Symposia, and National Conferences, and is a regular contributor to the ATP/WTA Pro Course. Mike was the author of the ITF Tennis10s manual, the Official U10 Program of many nations across the globe. His previous roles include Director of Tennis at MatchPoint in Southampton, England, and Director of Junior Tennis at the West Hants Club in Bournemouth, England. A Level Five LTA Coach, PTR Professional, and USPTA P1, Mike was also an LTA Master Tutor, ITF Expert, and PTR World Professional of the Year in 2007. In 2022 he was recognized as a PTR International Master Professional. He joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022, bringing his coaching and coach education background to the key role of developing our coaching staff and enhancing our programs across the Company.

Alberto Romea
Alberto Romea
Director of Tennis, SPORTIME Lake Isle/Director, JMTA Westchester

Alberto hails from Zaragoza, Spain, where he grew up competing against players such as Nadal, Almagro and Verdasco. From the age of 10, Alberto held a top 8 national ranking. He represented his country in the 1998 Junior Davis Cup alongside compatriots Nadal and Almagro. A top recruit to Auburn University at Montgomery, he was voted the NAIA Rookie of the Year in 2006 and the NAIA Ward-Ballinger Outstanding Player of the Year in both 2008 and 2010. Alberto won National Championships at AUM in 2008 and 2010 and finished his NCAA career ranked No. 1 in the nation in singles and doubles. Alberto graduated with honors, earning a BA in Management and an MBA in International Business. Alberto served as Assistant Director of Tennis at the Greenwich Country Club prior to joining the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2013. In July of 2019, Alberto was promoted to Director of Tennis at SPORTIME Lake Isle and Director of JMTA Westchester.

Alex Davis
Alex Davis
Director of JMTA Mac Red Ball and Orange Ball Programs, SPORTIME Lake Isle/JMTA Westchester

Alex is a native of Chappaqua, NY, and a graduate of Drew University. He is a USPTA Certified Professional and has over five years of experience coaching players of all levels. Alex joined SPORTIME/JMTA in 2017.

Carlos Campo
Carlos Campo
Managing Director, SPORTIME Lake Isle/JMTA Westchester and Capital Region

Carlos, originally from Maracay, Venezuela, was ranked as high as number 6 in the nation as a junior in his home country. He came to the US to play college tennis at Campbell University, where he majored in Sports Management and Business. After college, Carlos competed at the professional level before transitioning into a coaching career. He joined SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2009 and is currently SPORTIME’s Regional General Manager for Westchester and the Capital Region.

Brandy Givens
Brandy Givens
Co-General Manager, SPORTIME Lake Isle/JMTA Westchester

Born and raised in the Bronx, Brandy studied hospitality and management at Monroe College. She began her SPORTIME career as a Tennis Concierge and Bookkeeper at SPORTIME’s Randall’s Island location before transferring to SPORTIME Lake Isle in 2014. At Lake Isle, Brandy has served as Office Manager and Accounts Manager, and Assistant General Manager, before being promoted to her current position of Co-General Manager. Brandy joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2007.

Marcio Souza
Marcio Souza
Co-General Manager, SPORTIME Lake Isle/JMTA Westchester

Marcio, originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, attended Manhattanville College, where he was a member of the men’s soccer team. During his undergraduate studies, Marcio was selected to the President’s Honor Roll, as a top performing student/athlete in the Heartland Conference. Marcio also earned his Masters Degree in Sports Management at Manhattanville, during which time he served as the assistant men’s soccer coach. He is a U10 certified coach and NASM certified personal trainer. Marcio joined SPORTIME in 2016.

Nelson Escobar
Nelson Escobar
Assistant Director, SPORTIME Lake Isle/JMTA Westchester

Nelson, a native of Ecuador, was a top 20 ranked junior in his home country while training at the Andres Gomez Academy. He moved to the United States in 2004 to play for Union College, where he won two conference championships and the Most Improved Player of the Year Award, graduating with a degree in Business Marketing and Management. Nelson joined SPORTIME/JMTA in 2012 and has over 12 years of teaching and coaching experience. During the indoor season, Nelson is an Assistant Director at SPORTIME Lake Isle.

Joshua Bill
Joshua Bill
Regional Assistant Director of Adult Tennis, SPORTIME Lake Isle/JMTA Westchester

Born and raised in The Bronx, Josh was introduced to tennis through participation in New York Junior Tennis league programs. After showing his talent and love for the game, Josh received full scholarships to the Harlem Junior Tennis and Reebok Tennis Academies. He attended Lehman High School, where he recorded a 49-2 singles record, during which time he was ranked as high as top 3 in the USTA Metro region and in the USTA Eastern division. Josh began his coaching career at SPORTIME Harbor Island, where he worked for 13 years before taking a brief hiatus to take a Director position elsewhere. He returned home, to the SPORTIME team, in 2021.

Jonathan Fintak
Jonathan Fintak
Director of Pickleball, Tennis Coach

Jonathan, born in St. Petersburg, Florida and raised in Sevierville, Tennessee, played four years of high school tennis at Seymour High before receiving the first ever Professional Tennis Management (PTM) Scholarship granted by the USTA Foundation. Jonny enrolled in the PTM program at Methodist University, where he played varsity tennis and received the Bobby Bell Good Works Award for work ethic and character. In addition to teaching tennis, Jonny is also an accomplished pickleball player and coach, achieving a 5.0 rating and competing in several national tournaments. He joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team, first at SPORTIME Amagansett in 2020, where he served as Director of Camp Tennis, before becoming a member of the SPORTIME Lake Isle team in 2021.

Richard-John Mensing
Richard-John Mensing
Director of Performance and Junior Athletic Development, SPORTIME RI & JMTA

Richard hails from Richmond, Virginia, and has over 20 years of professional experience as an elite athlete, performance coach, and athletic-wellness educator, working in numerous sports with athletes of all ages and levels. A graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, Richard spent six years as a writer/producer for the CBS Television Network before moving to Barcelona to train and compete on the European triathlon circuit. In Spain, he received a Masters in D'Eesport I D'atletisme iNutricio at Universal Atlético Institut and went on to build his own successful health and fitness business, boasting clients from the worlds of sports, TV and film. From numerous ATP and WTA players to top ITF juniors, Olympic, Junior Olympic, collegiate, and amateur athletes from around the globe, Richard provides a uniform, yet holistic and individualized approach to the vital role that strength and conditioning training, flexibility, injury prevention and nutrition play in creating a successful athlete, regardless of age or sport. Richard joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2014.

Dr. Dejan Stankovic
Dr. Dejan Stankovic
Director of Mental Performance & Wellness, SPORTIME RI & JMTA

Dr. Stankovic was born in Serbia and raised in Niagara Falls, Canada, and later moved to Wakefield, Massachusetts. Dejan joins the SPORTIME/JMTA team as a sports psychologist with expertise in mindfulness, meditation and biofeedback. He is Board Certified in Biofeedback and is a member of the Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (aapb.org), the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (bcia.org), and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (aasp.org). His publications include "Mindfulness Meditation Training for Tennis Players" and "Mindfulness Meditation Training as a Sports Psychology Technique". In addition, Dr. Stankovic has presented his work at numerous national sports psychology conferences and national biofeedback conferences, and has taught sports psychology at high schools and to sports teams, including various women's and men's tennis teams, throughout the greater Boston area. Dr. Stankovic graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from St. Bonaventure University in 2007, a Master's Degree in Education, Counseling Psychology Specialization in Sports Psychology from Boston University in 2008, and received an Ed.D. from Boston University in 2015. He was an NCAA DI tennis player himself, and served as the Head Coach of the DI Boston University men's tennis team. Dr. Stankovic joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022

Jill Spangenberg
Jill Spangenberg
Global Director of Retail, SPORTIME Clubs

With a professional background in management and merchandising, Jill has held leadership roles for a variety of specialty retailers throughout her career, including Kenneth Cole, Jacadi, and Hot Topic. Prior to joining SPORTIME, Jill spent 10 years at Yankee Candle, in senior leadership and business growth positions. Ready for a new challenge, Jill joined the SPORTIME team in 2023, where she will oversee retail operations across SPORTIME, JMTA, and SPORTIME PICKLEBALL. Jill lives in Oyster Bay, NY, and very much looks forward to tuning up her tennis game, and seeing what the sport of pickleball has to offer.

Tereza Pilzova
Tereza Pilzova
Social Media Manager and Content Creator, Global JMTA, SPORTIME Randall's Island

Tereza, born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic, was ranked in the top 20 as a junior in her home country, winning multiple national and regional championships. Tereza attended Weber State University and then Lewis University, playing at the top of their respective lineups and receiving numerous GLVC awards for outstanding athletic and academic performance. Tereza graduated from Lewis with a degree in Public Relations and Advertising and then went on to earn her Masters in Media Management at The New School. She has coached players of all ages and levels and joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022 as Director of Communications & Media and Tennis Coach. 

Sahibzada Ali
Sahibzada Ali
Tennis Coach

Ali, a native of Peshawar, Pakistan, was ranked #1 nationally in Boys 14s and 16s in his home country, and #2 in Boys 14s in the Asian Tennis Federation. He represented Pakistan in the 2016 Junior Davis Cup and was a member of the ITF Juniors Team in Asia. He played college tennis at Lake Superior State University, where he was named to the GLIAC All-Academic Team in 2021. Ali graduated with a B.S. in Finance and Economics and Business Administration. He joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022.

Samrakshyak Bajracharya
Samrakshyak Bajracharya
Staff Tennis Coach

Samrakshyak, originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, began his tennis playing journey at the age of five. He represented Nepal at the Asian Games in South Korea and Indonesia. Samrakshyak attended Barton Community College in 2020 and 2021, earning an Associate Degree in General Studies before transferring to Alabama State University. At Alabama State, he was captain of the men’s tennis team and received Second Team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference honors in 2022 and 2023, while earning a bachelor’s degree in business management and an MBA. Samrakshyak joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in May 2024.

Emily Chang
Emily Chang
Tennis Coach

Emily Da Silva Chang, hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was the #1 ranked Girls 14 player in her home country. Emily attended college in the United States, playing junior college tennis for Mesa Community College and for ASA College Miami, where she was named “Women’s Athlete of the Year” and “ITA Sophomore Player of the Year”. Emily later transferred to the University of Mobile, where she went undefeated for the 2019 regular season without dropping a set. At University of Mobile, Emily was named Southern States Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Player of the Year and an NAIA First T-eam All American. After graduating with honors and a degree in Business Management, Emily played on the WTA Tour for 2 years before joining the SPORTIME Lake Isle/JMTA Team in 2022.

Nei Dos Santos
Nei Dos Santos
Tennis Coach

Hailing from Florianopolis, Brazil, Nei was a top 30 ranked junior in his home country. Nei attended and played for Cowley County Community College as a freshman, where he was selected as an All-American and finished the season ranked third in the nation in doubles. Nei then transferred to Newman University, where he played first singles and doubles, and from which he graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Upon graduation, Nei pursued a Master’s degree at Newman, while holding the Graduate Assistant Coach position for the men’s and women’s teams. Nei joined SPORTIME /JMTA in 2018.

Sandra Gines
Sandra Gines
Tennis Coach

Sandra Gines, originally from Reus, Spain, began playing tennis at the age of five. She attended Campbell University, earning Second-Team All-Coastal Athletic Association honors in singles in 2022. Sandra later transferred to Saint Louis University, where was named to the A-10 Commissioner's Honor Roll, led her team in singles winning percentage (.800), received Big South All-Conference honors, was named Team MVP and earned a bachelor's degree in economics. Sandra joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in September 2024. 

Ivanhoe Lissanevitch
Ivanhoe Lissanevitch
Tennis Coach

Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, Ivanhoe was the #1 ranked 18 and under player in his native country. He trained at the Bruguera Tennis Academy in Spain for four years before going on to play at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX. He competed at IW for two years before transferring to Hillsdale College, where he graduated with a BA in Business. Ivanhoe joined SPORTIME/JMTA in October 2021.

Bejamin Maes
Bejamin Maes
Tennis Coach

Benjamin Maes, originally from Antwerp, Belgium, began playing tennis at the age of four and was ranked as high as #69 in singles in Belgium as a junior. He attended Campbell University in North Carolina, where, during the 2022-23 season, Benjamin was named First-Team Big South All-Conference selection in doubles and a Second-Team choice in singles, and compiled a 19-5 overall singles record, including a 15-4 mark in dual matches. Benjamin earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and was named to the Big South Presidential Honor Roll. He joined the Sportime team in August 2024.

Connor DiMarco
Connor DiMarco
Tennis Coach

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Connor Di Marco began playing tennis at the age of four and had an incredible junior career, receiving a full scholarship to train with the Tennis Australia National Development Program and winning the Australian National Championship four times. Connor was named Victorian Schools State Athlete of the Year three times and won three ITF junior titles. In 2015, he represented Australia in the Junior Davis Cup. Connor maintained a top three national ranking in every junior age division and was selected as a hitting partner at the Australian Open from 2015-2018, during which year he trained with many tennis greats, including Rafael Nadal, Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic. Connor attended the D1 University of Tulsa, where he was selected All- Singles and All-Doubles for the AAC, played #1 doubles all four years, earning a ranking of #14 in the nation, and received Student-Athlete Academic all-conference honors for three consecutive years. Upon his graduation in 2023, Connor began his coaching career at SPORTIME.

Catalina Medici
Catalina Medici
Tennis Coach

Catalina, originally from Barcelona, Spain, began playing tennis at the age of three. She was ranked #3 in Spain in G12 and #10 in G18 and competed in numerous ITF tournaments on the European circuit. She attended the College of Charleston, where she played on the women's tennis team and earned a bachelor's of science degree in biology. Catalina joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in June 2021. 

Francisco 'Javi' Garcia Redondo
Francisco 'Javi' Garcia Redondo
Tennis Coach

Hailing from Spain, Javi attended the Manuel Orantes Tennis Academy in Barcelona, where he trained alongside Stan Wawrinka and won the Spanish National Championship at age 14. He moved to the United States in 2005 to play for Auburn University, and was he ranked as highly as No. 3 in the nation in singles and No. 1 in doubles. In 2008, Javi helped Auburn to win the NAIA National Championship. After graduating with a BA in Business Management, Javi pursued his MBA at AUM. While completing his graduate degree, Javi served as Assistant Coach of the AUM Women's team, coaching them to a National Championship and being named Regional Assistant Coach of the Year. Javi joined SPORTIME/JMTA in 2013.

Claudia Sole
Claudia Sole
Tennis Coach

Born and raised in Valls, Spain, Claudia was ranked as high as #185 in her home country as a junior. She went on to play women’s tennis at Tennessee State University, before transferring to Lake Superior State University. While playing for LSSU, Claudia earned NCAA DII Honorable Mention and All-GLIAC honors, and graduated with B.S. in Marketing and International Business. Claudia also received the Sault Area Chamber of Commerce Achievement Award. She joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022.

Andrew Teixeira
Andrew Teixeira
Tennis Coach

Andrew, originally from Sau Paulo, Brazil, first held a racket at the age of six. As a junior, Andrew was highly ranked in his home country, where he won four Brazilian National Championships in both the under-16s and under-18s divisions. Andrew moved stateside to play college tennis for Saint Francis University, where he won the Newcomer of the Year Award, as well as the Team Scholarship Award, in his 2020-2021 season. Always a steady competitor, he played #2 through #4 all four years and was an ITA scholar for two of them. Andrew went on to teach at private clubs across the country before joining SPORTIME in 2023.

Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Tennis Coach

Ted Williams, originally from London, grew up in Melbourne, Australia, where he achieved an U18s ranking of #10 in the country. He played college tennis at Di Campbell University in North Carolina, and, in his 2018 season, helped The Camels to win the Big South Championship. Ted graduated with a B.S. in Finance and a Masters in Business Administration. He joined the SPORTIME team in 2022.

Lawrence Burwell
Lawrence Burwell
Athletic Performance Coach, SPORTIME Lake Isle/JMTA Westchester

Lawrence, a resident of White Plains NY, earned a BA in Professional Communications, with a minor in Exercise Science, from SUNY Farmingdale in 2015. After graduation, he received his personal training certifcation from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). For the past eight year Lawrence has workd as a coach and personal trainer, providing one-on-one training, as well as directing group fitness sessions, sports clinincs and large boot camps. He has trained athletes of all ages and skill levels. He joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2023.

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