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 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 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 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, 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, and 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 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.

Chelsea, originally from Farmingdale, New York, began her career with SPORTIME in 2001 at the age of 15. She started as a birthday party assistant and at reception, and was later promoted to Birthday Party Director, League Director and Bookkeeper. Chelsea took a brief hiatus from SPORTIME, from 2009 to 2012, to work at reception at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. She returned to SPORTIME in 2012 as an Assistant Manager and Program Director at Bethpage Multisport. In 2014, Chelsea became the Assistant General Manager of Syosset and Bethpage Tennis, and was promoted to General Manager of those clubs in 2016. General Manager of Roslyn and, soon thereafter, was promoted to Regional General Manager for those three clubs. In September 2022, Chelsea was promoted to Managing Director of SPORTIME’s Central Long Island Clubs, adding Lynbrook and Port Washington to her oversight responsibilities.

Ryan, originally from Westbury, NY, grew up playing competitive baseball. Beginning in 2009, he attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was President of the Club Baseball Organization and an All-Conference shortstop in 2012 and 2013. He earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from CU in 2013. Ryan joined the SPORTIME team in October 2014, and served as an Assistant General Manager of SPORTIME Randall's Island for five years, before being promoted to General Manager of SPORTIME Port Washington in 2022.

Mike, a native of Long Island, was one of the top ranked juniors in the country prior to attending Bowling Green State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication. At Bowling Green, Mike led the men’s tennis team to two Mid-American Conference Championships and became the most successful player in the history of the program. After graduating, Mike quickly became one of the top junior coaches in the east, developing numerous nationally ranked players, while earning a Master’s Degree in Physical Education. He has competed and coached extensively in ITF tournaments around the world. Mike joined SPORTIME in 2000, became Director of the JMTA's first Long Island site, at SPORTIME Syosset, in 2012, and, as of the launch of JMTA's newest location at SPORTIME Port Washington in 2023, the Regional Director of JMTA Long Island.

Jay, a native of Lexington, Ohio, began playing tennis at the age of 11. He attended the University of Cincinnati, where he played for the men’s tennis team and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He continued his education at Miami University, where he earned a master’s degree in sports psychology and sports management. While at Miami, he served as an assistant coach for the women’s tennis team, helping to lead them to a MAC title in 1996. Following his time at Miami, Jay became the Head Tennis Coach at Bowling Green State University, where he led the team for six seasons. He was named the Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year in 2002 after guiding the team to MAC titles in 2000 and 2002. In 2002, Jay was hired as the Head Men’s Tennis Coach at Brown University. Over his eight years at Brown, he became the most successful coach in the tennis program’s 100-plus year history, leading the team to its highest-ever national ranking of #33, securing two Ivy League titles and achieving seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. He was named the Northeast Region Coach of the Year in 2005 and was a finalist for the National Coach of the Year award. During his tenure at Brown, he coached five singles players and 15 doubles teams to national rankings, including one team that achieved All-American status. Jay joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2010, and was the Co-General Manager and Director of Tennis at SPORTIME Roslyn before transferring to Port Washington to lead the tennis/JMTA programs there.

David, a native New Yorker, attended Oceanside High School from 1980 to 1984, and graduated from American University with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1988. He started playing pickleball 12 years ago and became one of the first IPTPA certified pickleball instructors on Long Island. David joined the SPORTIME team in 2022.

Ofir, originally from Melville, NY, played competitive tennis as a junior, achieving a top-20 ranking in the USTA Eastern Section and a top-150 ranking nationally. He attended John F. Kennedy High School, where he captained the tennis team during his junior and senior seasons, earning All-County Doubles honors in 2010 and 2012. Beginning in 2012, he attended Fairfield University, where he played on the men’s tennis team, compiling a 20-10 singles record as a freshman – 16-4 in dual matches and 5-1 in the MAAC, and later captained the team. Ofir graduated from Fairfield with a bachelor’s degree in business and a master’s degree in accounting. He joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2017, at SPORTIME Randall’s Island, where he was elevated quickly to Assistant Director of JMTA Mac Red and Orange Programs and Director of Community Programming, before being promoted to his current position at SPORTIME Port Washington in 2023.

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. 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.

Randy earned his Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Baruch College before joining SPORTIME in 1999. He was previously the General Manager of SPORTIME Bethpage Multi-Sport where he was instrumental in developing the SPORTIME Volleyball Club, which now trains over 500 competitive players each year. He is excited to branch out into the tennis and pickleball world as he takes on this new role in our company.

Julia, born and raised in Long Island, grew up playing tennis at SPORTIME Clubs. She attended Commack High School, where she captained the tennis team and won the Suffolk County Championship in 2017. Julia graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in 2022. She joined the SPORTIME coaching team in 2015, went on to become a Camp Director and now serves as a Pickleball and Sports Coordinator. She is currently pursuing an MBA from Hofstra University.

Justin is a native New Yorker, originally from Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Beginning in 2016, he attended Farmingdale State College, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in sports and fitness administration in 2022. He joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2016.

Alessandra, originally from Gela, Italy, began playing tennis at the age of three. Beginning in 2017, she attended Alcorn State University, where she played on the women’s tennis team. She was named to the SWAC All-Tournament Team as a sophomore, and played #1 singles for the team as a junior. Alessandra graduated from ASU with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2020, before transferring to Tiffin University. At Tiffin, she helped the team win the regular season championship in two consecutive years, compiling a 16-1 singles record in her final year, and was selected to the Second Team All-Conference in both years. Alessandra earned her MBA from Tiffin University before joining the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2021.

Paul, originally from Denver, Colorado, achieved a top 10 ranking in the USTA National Boys’ U16 and U18 Divisions, and won three USTA National Championships and six Intermountain Sectional Championships, as a junior. Paul played for Clemson University before transferring to Boise State University, where he achieved a career-high national ranking of #42 in doubles, and won the University of Virginia Fall Singles Classic in 2007. He then transferred to the University of Colorado, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications. After college, Paul pursued his passion for tennis in New Zealand, excelling as a player and coach. He attained a ranking of #5 in the NZ national standings, while coaching players of all ages and levels, including top junior talent. Over the past 13 years, Paul has coached across the United States. Recently, Paul has made a successful return to competitive tennis, securing two silver balls and two bronze balls in USTA National Men’s 35 and over events, and achieving a current national ranking of #7 in singles and #4 in doubles. Paul joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2023, and will be a presence at multiple JMTA sites, as well as at tournaments.

Lauren, a Long Island native, began playing tennis when she was five years old. She was a highly ranked junior, earning All-State honors at Syosset High School. Beginning in 2008, she attended Towson University, where she played on the women’s tennis team for two years and studied physical education. Throughout her coaching career, Lauren has worked with high-performance players, including state and national champions. She joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2013.

Rong, originally from Guangzhou, China, began playing tennis at the age of eight. Beginning in 2004, he attended the University in Guangzhou, where he competed on the men’s tennis team and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. Beginning in 2008, he continued his collegiate tennis journey at Brigham Young University-Hawaii, achieving ITA DII All-America honors in 2009 and winning the ITA DII West Region’s Arthur Ashe Jr. Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship in 2010. Rong earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise sports science from BYU-Hawaii in 2012. After his college career, he served as an assistant coach for the BYU Hawaii men’s and women’s tennis teams for two years, while earning a master’s degree in kinesiology. Rong joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2023.

Martins, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, began playing tennis at the age of three. He attended Seward County Community College, where he played on the men’s tennis team, and was named second-team All-American after leading the team to its first national championship in 2022. He earned an associate’s degree in liberal arts from SCCC before transferring to Lubbock Christian University in Texas, where he also played on the men’s tennis team. He led his team to back-to-back Regional Championships in 2022 and 2023, and was recognized as the Sportsmanship Player of the Year in the Lone Star Conference. Martins earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and sports management from LCU, and joined the SPORTIME team in May 2024.

Rafael, originally from São Paulo, Brazil, began playing tennis at the age of seven and had an epic junior playing career, ranked #1 in Brazil in the B14, B16 and B18 divisions and receiving consecutive Brazil Best Player of the Year awards from 2016-2019. Rafael attended Liberty University and earned a bachelor's degree in coaching. During his freshman season, he won 10 matches in a row and was named Rookie of the Year. In 2021, he won the Atlantic Sun Conference men’s tennis championship and was named MVP. In 2023, he was ranked #99 in the country in singles while playing number one for Liberty and was selected for the ASUN All-Conference First Team. Rafael joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2024.

Francisco, originally from Neuquen, Argentina, played competitive tennis as a junior, achieving a #1 ranking in the Patagonia region and a top-20 national ranking in Argentina. Beginning in 2019, he attended Lindenwood University in St. Louis, where he played on the men’s tennis team and was named to the OVC all-conference team for three years. Francisco earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance, followed by an MBA from LU. He joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022.

Marina, originally from Yerevan, Armenia, began playing tennis when she was six years old. Beginning in 2018, she attended the University of Tulsa for two years before transferring to Liberty University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in sports management. During her senior year, she was named to the VaSID All-State singles second team and the Atlantic Sun All-Conference second team, finishing with a .714 career singles winning percentage. Marina joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in September 2024.

João, originally from Curitiba, Brazil, began playing tennis at the age of three. He was ranked #1 in Brazil in B16s and achieved an ITF junior world ranking of 412. João attended Cameron University in Oklahoma, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology and Cybersecurity. In 2021, he was named Second Team All-Lone Star Conference in doubles and was ranked 18th in the country. João started coaching at SPORTIME in the summer of 2022 and returned as a full-time team member in September 2024.

Santino, originally from Whitestone, NY, started playing tennis at the age of 11. As a junior, he was ranked in the top three in the Eastern section in B16s and B18s. After a college career that including competing for three Division I programs, including Bowling Green State University, West Virginia University, and the University of Maryland, Santino graduated from the University of Maryland, where he played #1 singles and doubles, and earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. Santino joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in September 2024.

Vincent, originally from Paris, France, played competitive tennis as a junior. Beginning in 2017, he attended West Liberty University, where he played on the men’s tennis team and was named Second Team All-Conference during his freshman season. He then transferred to Stonehill College, where he achieved ITA All-Academic Honors and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. In 2021, Vincent transferred to St. Thomas University, where he played on the men’s tennis team and earned his MBA. He joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022.

Luis, originally from Valencia, Spain, began playing tennis at the age of 7. In 2018, he won the J5 ITF tournament in Algeria. Luis attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn, where he captained the men’s tennis team, winning the Northeastern Conference championship in 2023 and earning MVP honors and a spot on the All-Conference Team, along with the Student Athlete of the Year award. Luis earned a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in digital marketing at St. Francis, and joined the SPORTIME team in May 2024.

David, originally from Boston, MA, began playing tennis at an early age. He competed in USTA New England tournaments, achieving junior rankings in both singles and doubles. David captained his high school team to a Bay State Conference Championship, and was a four-time Bay State Conference All-Star. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he played on the men’s tennis team, and earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations. Following over 25 years in a different industry, David returned to tennis and joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2023.

Ken, originally from Jamaica, began playing tennis at the age of 9. He achieved rankings of #1 in singles and #1 doubles in the B14, B16 and B18 age divisions in his home country. He was also ranked #1 in the B18 Commonwealth Caribbean, won a gold medal in singles at the Carifta Games, and was a member of the Jamaica National Junior and Professional Team. He has over 25 years of tennis coaching experience, and joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022.

Anna, originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, was a top junior tennis player, winning multiple national championships and achieving a top-100 ranking on the Tennis Europe tour. She began playing professionally at the age of 16, earning WTA points in singles and doubles. At 17, Anna moved to the United States and attended the University of Indianapolis. She became a regional champion in doubles, achieved national rankings of #5 in singles and #1 in doubles, and secured conference and regional titles. Anna won the ITA indoor national NCAA Division II championship, and was named ITA National Women's Tennis Player to Watch and ITA National Women's Tennis Senior of the Year. She also received multiple Division II All-American honors. Anna earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and a master’s degree in finance and organizational leadership from UI. She joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2023.

Vasilisa, originally from Moscow, Russia, began playing tennis at the age of five. Beginning in 2018, she attended the University of Nebraska-Kearney before transferring to Cameron University after her freshman year. At Cameron, she played on the women’s tennis team, achieving a national ranking of #16 and was named First Team All-Long Star Conference as a junior. Vasilisa earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an MBA from Cameron. She joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2024.

Claudia Rodriguez, originally from Tenerife, Spain, began playing tennis at the age of four. Beginning in 2018, she attended Lincoln Memorial University where she played on the women’s tennis team and compiled a 7-1 record as a sophomore. Claudia graduated in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in September 2022.

Ilya, originally from Rostov-on-Don, Russia, began playing tennis at the age of 10, and achieved a top-100 national ranking by the age of 16. Beginning in 2018, he attended North Carolina Wesleyan College before transferring to Shaw University, where he captained the men’s tennis team. Ilya earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Shaw, and joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2023.

Karl, originally from Mineola, NY, began playing tennis at the age of 24. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and health from Slippery Rock University. In 1994, Karl joined the SPORTIME team as the Director of Tennis at SPORTIME Syosset, a role he held until 2012. In 1998, he was honored as the USPTA and USTA Teaching Professional of the Year. After a decade-long hiatus, he rejoined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022, and focuses primarily on coaching U10 players.

Jordan, originally from Forest Hills, New York, began playing tennis at the age of six and was an elite junior player. Among many accomplishments, he competed in the US Open Junior Doubles Championships in 1989, where he defeated Greg Rusedski, ranked #4 in the world at the time. While attending Benjamin Cardozo High School, he played #1 singles and led the team to multiple NYC championships. In 2016, Jordan was inducted into the Cardozo Hall of Fame. Jordan attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he played #2 singles and #1 doubles on the men’s tennis team. He earned a bachelor’s degree from UWM in psychology and communication. He is a New York State licensed school psychologist with over 20 years of experience. He joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2021.

Toni, originally from Louisville, KY, began playing tennis at the age of 8. He attended Bellarmine University in Kentucky, where he majored in mathematics and minored in psychology. Toni joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in July 2024.

Stephen, born and raised in Long Island, began playing pickleball in 2019 and has coached since 2021. He graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a bachelor's degree in business management in 1983. Stephen is certified through the IPTPA and joined the SPORTIME team in 2024.

Jill has led teams and built the business for a variety of specialty retailers throughout her career. From a strong apparel background, including Kenneth Cole, Jacadi, and Hot Topic, she moved into hard lines with Yankee Candle. After 10 years of moving the business forward at Yankee and Newell Brands, it was time for a new challenge. Jill is looking forward to building teams in our Pro Shops that serve as ambassadors for the SPORTIME and JMTA brands. Jill lives in Oyster Bay, NY and will be ensuring we exceed our players and members needs in all of our locations. She is also very much looking forward to tuning up her tennis game in the fall, and seeing what the sport of pickleball has to offer!

Born and raised in Prague, Czech Republic, Tereza was ranked in the top 20 as a junior in her home country, winning multiple national and regional championships. She attended Division I, Weber State University and then transferred to Division II, Lewis University, leading both teams at the top of their lineups in singles and doubles, and receiving numerous GLVC awards for outstanding athletic and academic performance. Tereza graduated with multiple honors from Lewis with a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations and Advertising and then went on to earn her Master's degree in Media Management at The New School. Tereza has over 7 years of experience in creative and digital marketing, advertising, social media management, and content creation. She has coached players of all ages and levels and joined the SPORTIME/JMTA team in 2022 as Tennis Coach and Communications and Media Director at SPORTIME Randall's Island. Tereza was promoted to a Global Marketing team as Social Media Manager and Content Creator for John McEnroe Tennis Academy and SPORTIME Randall's Island in August, 2024.