Rosie Garza
Rosie has been Director of Tennis at The Courtyard for 14 years. She has been in the tennis industry as a Director of Tennis and/or Head Professional after graduating from college. She has developed club programs, owned a pro shop, and has been on the management side of the business. As a player: Rosie is currently rated 5.0. She played the Missouri Valley Circuit during the summer while she was in college. She has competed at the National Senior level. She has won 4 National Tournaments in Doubles on clay and hardcourt. She was also a doubles finalist five times at the National level. She has also been ranked as high as No. 1 in Texas in singles and doubles. As a Tennis Professional, she has developed and organized teams of all levels and has taken many teams to both Sectional and National competitions. "I am serious about developing my students skills to their fullest potential, and instilling in them an appreciation of the sport as a lifetime experience. Also, having played as a junior, young adult, and senior, I feel I can relate to all ages and levels." Rosie is from Kingsville, Texas. Played tennis on scholarship at Shreiner College in Kerrville and UT Permian Basin in Odessa, Texas. She graduated with a bachelors from UTPB and gained received her Masters Degree in Biomechanics from UTPB in Odessa while she was Director of Tennis at Odessa Country Club.
Ron Guse
Before coming to teach at the Courtyard, where he has been for the past 13 years, Ron was very active in the tennis community in Southern California. Besides teaching in the ‘Golden State’ for 15 years, he was very instrumental in starting ‘Grass Roots’ and Parks and Recreation Programs in his local communities, as well as serving as Tournament Director at several annual events. His achievements on the court in So Cal include his highest ranking of #6 Men's Singles, and was captain of a 5.0 USTA team that went to Nationals, where he was declared a National Benchmark 5.5 Player after going undefeated throughout the season. In Texas, he achieved his highest singles ranking of #2, and maintained the #1 doubles ranking for many years before a busy work schedule and a few injuries slowed him down. Ron also represented the State of Texas for several seasons in the National Intersectional Team Championships. Off the court, he continues to be the Tournament Director for one of the largest Adult Tournaments in the state, a position he has held for many years, and was given the title of Tournament Director of one of the largest and most popular Senior/Super Senior Major Zone Tournaments in Texas a few years ago. Ron is also a Certified Master Racket technician with the USRSA, and has been the lead racket stringer at several pro tournaments. Ron is a USPTA P-1 Certified Teaching Pro who works mostly with adults of all levels, and attends numerous seminars and workshops throughout the country to keep his knowledge and techniques as current and modern as possible. He enjoys teaching you how to win, rather than merely just showing you how to hit the ball.
Tosha Smith
Tosha is a USPTA P-1 Certified Teaching Pro. She has been teaching tennis for over 20 years and has worked with many top ranked juniors as well as adults. She enjoys working on technique and correct stroke production. Tosha played college tennis and was ranked #6 in the State of California in Junior College singles and was named Athlete of theYear. Most recently, in 2008 Tosha was Ranked #1 in Texas in Ladies Open Doubles. She works full time for USTA Texas section as the Texas Section League Coordinator. Tosha Serves on the Capital Area Tennis Association Board of Directors and is also on the board of the Austin Pros Association.
Sean Galle
Sean Galle has had a passion for the game of tennis for over 20 years. And during those 20 years he's been able to take his enthusiasm for the sport and evolve it into a teaching career that he loves. He enjoys helping fellow tennis fanatics learn everything from the basics of tennis such as hand-eye coordination, foot work and fitness to helping seasoned court veterans improve their serves. All while creating a positive and upbeat experience on the court for everyone. As as family man Sean has earned a reputation as being great with kids of all ages. He's able to maintain a fun and entertaining learning atmosphere while keeping calm under pressure as the kids use him for target practice. He makes tennis fun for even the youngest tennis players, when it could get overwhelming and frustrating, which helps create a lifelong love for the sport. When Sean's not teaching kids or beginning adults the more seasoned tennis players have found that he is great for helping them fine tune their individual strokes or simply giving them a great challenge on the court. Sean is not only a teacher but is a player and can be found during his free time playing USTA League Tennis and tournaments and generally enjoying the sport for all that it is.
Aaron Smith
Aaron Smith was born and raised in Houston, Texas where he developed a passion and love for the game of tennis. Aaron has played tennis for almost 20 years and taught for 7 years. Aaron is currently rated 4.5.
As a teacher his focus is on improving players; no matter what level or style they play with. He is a USTPA certified, P1 level Pro and is constantly working to improve and develop as a teacher. Aaron holds an associate’s degree in Philosophy and takes a very logical approach to the game. As a former US Marine, Aaron is no stranger to discipline and hard work. This is reflected in his teaching and commitment to helping people enjoy the sport.
For Aaron, tennis coaching is a partnership between the student and the teacher. Each student may need different techniques for learning, practicing and experiencing developments in the game. Given this he recognizes some important truths:
Tennis is and should mostly be a game of basic fundamentals.
While you may hit the ball with your upper half, the lower half of the body is the power house for great tennis.
By using repetitive and progressive drills all players can improve
The better you play the more fun you have!
If you had to sum up Aaron’s philosophy on teaching tennis it would be: "By focusing on lower body movement, fitness and core fundamentals; all players can improve."