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Professional Staff
 
 Kevin Schmitt, the Head Tennis and Platform Tennis  Professional  at the Upper Ridgewood Club, is a former  owner  and Director of  Tennis at the Flanders Valley  Tennis and Swim  Club, now the  Center Court Athletic  Club, Flanders, NJ.  Throughout his tennis  teaching  career, Kevin has developed  over 100 Junior tennis  players to play NCAA collegiate tennis  and coached  many more to play on high school tennis teams -  based  on USPTA coaching guidelines that teach children the  fundamentals of tennis using smaller balls, racquets and  courts, dependent on age, size and capability. He has  also coached aspiring ATP players on the Satellite Tour. Kevin was a state collegiate doubles tennis champion at Montclair State and has won state and county clay and hardcourt doubles tennis championships in different age groups. Kevin is a former National 50 and over Platform Tennis Men's Doubles semi-finalist.

 Justin Hogh graduated from the University of Connecticut,  and holds a B.A. in Sociology focusing on Childhood     Psychology and Behavior. In addition, Justin also   received his Masters in Business and Entertainment   Professions from New York University. Justin brings   extensive playing experience as an All American junior,   NCAA Division 1 college tennis player and ITF Junior   competitor. Justin participated in the 1984 Junior Orange Bowl Championships in Miami, Florida. He is a certified USPTA Pro 1  -  Elite coach with more than 20 years of tennis teaching experience. Justin was the Founder and Director of Knickerbocker Sports Tennis Academy, located in New York, NY and also served as the Head Teaching Professional at the Southampton Bath and Tennis Club, in Southampton, New York. In Addition, Justin also served as the Director of Junior Tennis at the Scripps Ranch Swim and Racquet club in San Diego, California.  

 Bill Meakem has been an Assistant Pro at the Upper Ridgewood   Tennis Club for 20 years.  Bill grew up in Ridgewood playing at   URTC.  He is a former 1st Team All-State High School doubles   player for Ridgewood High School.  As a former high school   teacher, Bill is proficient in teaching to different learning styles and   caters his teaching to fit the needs of his clientele. He’s taught all l   levels of men, women and children. He is known for his energy   and enthusiasm for the game and for teaching.  Bill coached the   Varsity Boys and Girls Tennis Teams at Governor Livingston High   School in Berkeley Heights for 10 years and won Union County   Coach of the Year in 2011.  Bill is USPTA certified in both tennis and paddle and is also currently the Head Paddle Pro at Echo Lake Country Club.  

Bill can be reached at (973) 224-0998 or by email at wmeakem@yahoo.com



 

 Abigail Burke continues as a tennis professional at the  URTC this spring after being so well received and  appreciated by her tennis Juniors at the URTC tennis  clinics last year. She is a longtime resident of Ridgewood  and an experienced tennis professional to every Junior  age group. Many of Abigail’s tennis Juniors have  continued on to play at Ridgewood and local high schools  and at the collegiate level. Abigail is a USPTA certified  tennis pro, combining her teaching experience with the  USTA guidelines and approach practiced at URTC. She played Division 1 tennis at Villanova University and is an active tournament player, nationally ranked in her age group in tennis in both singles and doubles. Abigail is also a nationally ranked platform tennis player, a PPTA (Pro Platform Tennis Assoc.) certified coach and teaches platform tennis to Juniors and adults at URTC.

 

Ed Gartner returns as a Tennis Professional at URTC this spring after teaching Junior tennis and platform tennis last fall and winter. Ed is currently the Platform Tennis Professional at the Hackensack Golf Club and formerly Head Tennis Pro. Previously Ed was the Director of the Junior tennis program at URTC under Jay Fraser. Ed now assists Kevin Schmitt teaching the USPTA based tennis program to Juniors at URTC. Ed also helps coach Junior and adult platform tennis at URTC. He has won the Bergen County Doubles Tennis Championship and is a nationally ranked platform tennis player.