I hope you are doing well. I’m still getting used to the changes in our name. I am extremely excited to see what this year brings for us as pros and as an association. I know there are a few that are not as thrilled with the change as I am, but I think the leaders in our association have done their due diligence and have our members and our association at their best interest with this historic change. There is no such thing as standing still, you are either moving forward or being left behind. I believe we are blazing the trail for others to follow.
A microcosm of that will be on display at our upcoming conference in February. I am looking forward to learning fantastic tips from industry leaders. Beyond the knowledge you will discover in the classroom you will find even more from the conversations you will have with each other. My personal favorite experiences I look forward to from each of these conferences I attend are the lessons I learn from my old friends and new acquaintances I make. Not only do I learn new things to make me better at what I do, I learn that many of the unique challenges I encounter at my own club are also the same challenges many of you face at yours.
The conference is more than a place to scan a badge and get educational experience, it is a place to form friendships and relationships that could be invaluable beyond measure in your career as a Racquet Sports Professional. If you are a veteran of these conferences, I ask you to search for our new members and invite them into your circles and share your knowledge and expertise. If you are new to the conference, please introduce yourself and ask questions. Our biggest strength as an association is our members. This is a terrific opportunity to be together in the community and to learn and share from one another. I hope you will join us next month.
Lastly, I want to express my appreciation to our Executive Director, Tosha Smith, who spends many hours working on the event while maintaining a club of her own. She is tireless, dedicated, and always extremely positive. Behind her is a strong board of directors, who volunteer their time away from their jobs and families to make these events a success. They do it because they love it.
Hope you can join us at the upcoming conference. I am looking forward to seeing you there! Thanks again for being a member of the RSPA, you are what makes our association great!
Regards,
Mel McRee RSPA Texas
that DATES RATE
JANUARY 17 - 19
RSPA Texas State Team Championships (Houston, Texas)
JANUARY 24 - 26
COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS
Awards | Matt Watson
Conference | Kelly Marshall
Education & Certification | Sarah Flood
Competitive | Jenny Gray & Ernie Abraham
Membership | Mel McRee
Finance | Michelle Stallard
Diversity, Equality, & Inclusion | Adrien Chabria
Nominating | Jo Keene
USTA Liaison | Fred Viancos
RSPA Level 2 In Person Workshop (Georgetown, Texas)
FEBRUARY 6
RSPA Pickleball Certification (Plano, Texas)
FEBRUARY 7 - 9
RSPA Texas Annual Conference (Plano, Texas)
APRIL 2 - 3
RSPA Texas Champion of Champions Event (Plano, Texas)
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. From Collegiate Playing to Elite Level RSPA Coach- Valentina Starkova
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. How to Advance your Career- Beverly Bowes
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Skill Sets you Need to Develop in Order to Grow- Scott McCulloch
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. RSPA Texas General Membership Meeting Luncheon Hosted by Mel McRee, RSPA Texas President, National Update- Mark Faber, First Vice President RSPA National Board. Luncheon Sponsored by the Fort Worth Professional Tennis Association
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Tech Presentations- Hey Google..- Mel McRee, Pod Cast & Digital Promotions- A.J. Chabria, Apps that Make Life Easier- Nick Bradish
3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Integration of Pickleball & Delivery in the New Club World- Jonathan Fralick
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Essential Pickleball Drills- Chris Molina
3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Game Based Tennis Drills- Michelle Stallard
4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Tennis for Everybody- Cindy Benzon
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. RSPA Texas Social Event
Sunday FEBRUARY 9TH
8:00 a.m. - 12 p.m. RSPA Specialty Course- The Super Bowl of On Court Teaching- Kelly Marshall
RSPA Texas Annual Conference 2025 Featured Speakers
JONATHAN FRALICK
Jonathan Fralick currently serves as the Vice President of Racquet Sports for Invited Clubs. Invited is the leader in owned courts with more than 700 tennis courts, 300 converted Pickleball courts and soon to be installed 2 Padel courts. Leading the Racquet Sports division of Invited and the Pickleball explosion, Jonathan directs the corporate strategic position in hiring of staff, building of programming, with membership growth and retention being the primary focus within Racquet Sports. Jonathan has financial accountability of over $25 million dollars in total tennis revenue and the 350 tennis professionals that deliver these member experiences across the Invited portfolio of clubs.
Under Jonathan’s leadership, building Invited relationships in the industry has been a priority and include certifying all Invited Racquet Sports Directors RSPA for tennis and PPR for Pickleball. Partnering with the PPA the last 3 years, Invited has hosted major PPA events, (Mission Hills, Brookhaven, Peachtree City, Hills of Lakeway) and Braemar, the first ever televised Pickleball event.
Jonathan has spearheaded national partnerships in the retail space with Lacoste, Tecnifibre, Selkirk, as well as 50 preferred vendors that have elevated all Regional and National member events, retail shop buying experience, and an expected level of product exposure members.
Before joining the ClubCorp family in 2014, Jonathan was responsible for the successful opening of the Lifetime Athletic facility in White Plains NY. Pre-opening, staffing, program development and ensuring timely facility completion were all part of his responsibilities.
BEVERLY BOWES
Beverly is currently the Director of Racquet Sports and Fitness at Cimarron Hills in Georgetown, Texas. She was previously the Director of Tennis at River Place Country Club in Austin for 14 years. Beverly was a top junior in the country and traveled the world (all the grand slams) before the age of 17 with the best coaches at the USTA.
Beverly played for the University of Texas at Austin and then went on to coach at her alma mater when they were a national finalist team in the NCAA. She traveled on the WTA tour with Chris Evert (her idol) and was ranked in the top 50 in the world in both singles and doubles. Her highest world ranking was 38. Beverly also previously worked for the USTA in their High-Performance Junior Program where she took some of the best players in the United States to grand slam tournaments.
She recently became certified in pickleball and enjoys playing and teaching. She has 2 great kids- Addie and Harrison. They have both played different sports but are now playing some tennis.
SCOTT MCCULLOCH
With over 25 years of experience as a nationally ranked player, coach, director and executive in the racquet sports industry, Scott McCulloch brings unparalleled expertise and passion to his role as President and COO of Cliff Drysdale Tennis. Scott has honed his skills as an operations, programming and business development expert for over 17 years while leading the company domestically and internationally.
A dynamic leader and keynote speaker, Scott is widely regarded as an industry innovator with a forward-thinking approach to the evolving world of racquet sports. With extensive experience in private clubs, resorts, residential communities and public facilities, Scott’s strategic vision and deep operational knowledge have made him a trusted advisor and thought leader in the field.
Scott is also an active board and committee member, leveraging his insights and expertise to shape the future of the industry. Whether speaking at conferences or driving growth from within, Scott’s commitment to excellence and his ability to inspire teams set him apart as a transformative force in racquet sports.
TOSHA SMITH
Tosha is a RSPA Elite Professional and RSPA Certified Pickleball Professional. She currently serves as the Executive Director for the RSPA Texas Division and is the Sports Club Director at Westlake Country Club in Austin. Tosha previously worked for USTA Texas for 18 years and served as the Director of Adult Tennis where she managed the adult league program, NTRP ratings, and the adult and senior tournaments.
Tosha has held roles of Director of Pickleball at Westwood Country Club, Adult Tennis Program Director at the University of Texas Golf Club and coached the men’s and women’s tennis teams at Southwestern University. She is also a past president and former board member for the Capital Area Tennis Association (CATA).
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
FEATURED SPEAKERS
MEL MCREE
Mel McRee is currently the Director of Racquet Sports at The Lubbock Country Club in Lubbock Texas. After graduating high school in Marble Falls and playing tennis at Temple College under RSPA Master Professional, Dick King, Mel pursued a degree in Business Administration at Texas Tech University. Mel began his career teaching tennis at LCC in early 2002 and became the Director in 2005.
Mel has been a member of the RSPA since 2002 and is an elite professional and has his certification in pickleball. Having served on the RSPA Texas Board of Directors for 10 years and is the current President for RSPA Texas.
In the middle of 2023, Mel began to participate in pickleball tournaments as a way to educate himself on the growing demand of the sport he was seeing explode in popularity at his club. Mel placed 2nd in singles at the Kansas City Open and 4th at Nationals in Dallas at the 4.0 level and won doubles and mixed at the Hertz Gold Cup in Daytona at the 4.0 and 4.5 level respectively.
When not on a court, Mel loves spending time with his family, his wife Kristen, and his daughters Victoria, Lucy and Lily. He enjoys various hobbies like hiking, woodworking, photography, cycling, and reading.
CHRIS GALE
Chris has a vast experience in private clubs, having held various Director roles since 1996. He prides himself on delivering the most exemplary level of service to his tennis playing membership, both on and off the court.
Some of his past roles include the Duxbury Yacht Club in Massachusetts, River Oaks Country club in Houston and now he is currently the Director at Bent Tree Country Club in Dallas. His engaging demeanor, wealth of experience, and a passion for the sport is a game changer for our conference!
MARK FABER
Mark Faber is a RSPA Elite Professional and director of tennis at Twos Athletic Club in Toledo, Ohio. He has been a RSPA member for more than 30 years and is the Past President of the Midwest Division. Since graduating from Methodist University in 1994, he has been involved in many facets of the tennis industry. Not only does he serve as the Director of Tennis, but he has also coached high school tennis for 30 years, co-directed a major charity event, started a school morning tennis program and serves on various USTA/Midwest and National Committees and project teams.
He has been recognized for his efforts as RSPA Ohio Pro of the Year, RSPA Midwest and National High School Coach of the Year, TIA High School Coach of the Year and was awarded the USTA/RSPA Community Service Award, RSPA Alex Gordon Professional of the Year as well as TIA RSPA Member of the Year. Mark is the proud father of two children, Gabi and Christian.
KELLY MARSHALL
Kelly is the Director of Tennis and Fitness at Onion Creek Country Club in Austin. She has over three decades of playing and coaching experience on multiple levels, Kelly brings a high level of skill and expertise. Her extensive knowledge provides an atmosphere that is positive and enables athletes to work through their struggles and on to success.
Kelly played for a division 1 University and held a national ranking of #3 in doubles and # 10 in singles. She was named a Sun Belt All- Conference Player and led her team as captain for all four years. Kelly is a RSPA Master Professional and serves as a Vice President on the RSPA Texas Division Board. Kelly is the RSPA Texas Division Coach Developer and is a RSPA Certified Pickleball Professional.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
FEATURED SPEAKERS
MICHELLE STALLARD
Michelle Stallard is the Director of Tennis & Athletics at Bush Tennis Center. She has been there for three years. Before working at Bush Tennis Center, she was the Director of Tennis at Horseshoe Bay Resort for sixteen years. During her time at Horseshoe Bay Resort, she developed the program into one of the top ten resort destinations in the world (USA Today) and one of the top fifty tennis resort destinations in the world (tennis resorts online). While there, she coached Faith Academy to twelve state championships in fifteen years, making her the all-time winningest high school tennis coach in TAPPS history.
Michelle has achieved excellence in all levels of her tennis career. As a junior player from Memphis, she was ranked #1 in the USTA Southern Section and top 15 in the U.S. Following her junior career, she earned a full tennis scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin. As a longhorn, Michelle won the Southwest Conference “Triple Crown” with Singles, Doubles, Team Titles, and NCAA Division 1 Academic All American Honors. She is also a certified pickleball instructor. Michelle graduated from University of Texas with a B.S. in exercise physiology and corporate fitness. She currently serves on the RSPA Texas Board of Directors and is a RSPA Elite Certified Tennis Professional.
MICHAEL JORDAN
Michael Jordan is the Director of Racquets at Dallas Country Club, one of the premier clubs in the country. His experience spans 25 years in the racquets industry at The Princess Anne Country Club in Virginia and Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania, as a Director of Racquets, Head Tennis Professional, and Staff Professional. Michael holds certifications from RSPA, PTR, PPR, PPTR, and USTA.
He has served as the RSPA Middle States president, participated on the RSPA National Mentoring Board, RSPA Adaptive Tennis Committee, and a graduate of the Certified Racquet Sports Executive program. Michael is very passionate about helping people reach their potential.
CHRIS MOLINA
Chris Molina is the Head Professional of Racquets at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas, Texas. A native of Oklahoma, she arrived in Dallas in 1992 and fell in love with Texas. Chris is a Tennis, Pickleball and Racquets Technician Specialist and has been at Royal Oaks for 32 years. As the Head Professional, Chris works closely with the Director of Racquets and helps to oversee all areas of the Racquets side of the club.
Teaching tennis and Pickleball to both adults and juniors is a never-ending passion for her. Creating, marketing, and running events though is her strong suit. It has always been about her relationships with the members no matter what the age or racquets activity. Chris also helps to manage pro-shop sales and creates continual value to the membership through limitless offerings and experiences. She is also a key mentor to new racquet assistant professionals and other staff members helping them to become more professional and experienced as they grow in their careers.
ADRIEN CHABRIA
AJ Chabria has played, covered, and coached at tennis events all around the globe. He has enjoyed a 26-year career as Tennis/Racquet Sports Director at two historic clubs in California and Texas. AJ is a contributing editor at TennisPlayer.net -- the top tennis instructional site in the world, according to Forbes. Along with Craig Bell, AJ co-hosts the At The Net Podcast, coaches elite players, their parents, and also club players. He customizes frames for college and tour players, and serves as teacher and tester for the USRSA’s Master Racquet Technician program.
AJ has been fortunate enough to conduct events with some of the foremost names in tennis, including Venus Williams, Mats Wilander, and John McEnroe. His wife and family are all tennis players and fans. In 2001, the couple honeymooned in Paris (it just happened to be during Roland Garros). AJ is a board member of the award-winning Texas division of the RSPA, he serves as one of the Vice Presidents. He has served as President of the Dallas Professional Tennis Association, and currently serves as a board member for the Dallas Tennis Association. AJ is also on the board of directors for Team Connor, a national foundation which has raised over $5M in research funding to eradicate pediatric cancer.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
FEATURED SPEAKERS
MATT WATSON
Matt is a RSPA Elite Professional and RSPA Certified Pickleball Professional. He currently serves as the Director of Racquet Sports at Hollytree Country Club in Tyler, Texas. He previously held roles as Head Tennis Professional at Richland Tennis Center, Director of Tennis at Colonial Country Club, and Membership and Special Events Director at TBarM Racquet Club where he also served on the Executive Management team. Additionally, Matt was a High-Performance coach for the academy program at TBarM. He has an extensive background in club operations management, teaching, programming, and pro shop management and staff leadership.
Matt was the 2017 RSPA Texas Professional of the Year and 2023 RSPA Texas Proud Award recipient. He has served on the RSPA Texas Board since 2015. He served as President from 2020-2024 and served on the RSPA National Membership Committee as well. He has previously served on the USTA Grievance committee, been a USTA National Zonals coach and USTA Area Training Center coach and was a USTA Schools Clinician for 3 years. He is USTA Sport Science Certified, and is a certified Mental Toughness Coach through Mental Toughness Inc. He has spoken at previous RSPA Texas conferences on Career Development, High-Performance Drills and Coaching Club Players.
CINDY BENZON
Cindy worked at Copperfield Racquet & Health Club for 22 years before joining USTA Texas in 2005 as a Tennis Service Representative. She climbed the ladder from assistant pro to Head Pro, Director of Tennis, and finally General Manager. Certified by Ken McAllister in 1985, she’s still a member of the RSPA.
When the Adaptive and Wheelchair programs opened up, Cindy jumped at the chance to coordinate them alongside her other duties. You might wonder why anyone would want to add to their workload, but for Cindy, it was personal. One of her coaches used a wheelchair (before wheelchair tennis existed), and she felt she could never repay him for everything he’d done for her – but she could “Play it Forward.” Sure, she didn’t know much about working with people with disabilities at the time, but that didn’t stop her. She learned through trial and error and continues to learn alongside the players, and she hopes more pros will be willing to do the same.
NICK BRADISH
Tennis has been a part of Nick’s life since he was a young child, and competitive tennis since he was 7 years old. Nick began his tennis career in 2015 in Mobile, Alabama, teaching at the University of South Alabama and at the Mobile Tennis Center.
After working in IT for 5 years, he returned to coaching tennis and moved to Houston in 2022 for a full-time tennis professional position at Royal Oaks Country Club. Currently, Nick is the Head Racquets Professional at Royal Oaks in Houston, a member of the Junior Team Tennis USTA Texas Committee, and a member of the RSPA Texas Conference Committee
VALENTINA STARKOVA
Valentina grew up in Kazakhstan and competed in ITF Juniors, achieving a world ranking of 106. She played for Kazakhstan in the Fed Cup and was recruited by the University of Arkansas, a top 15 school in the nation. Valentina also played at the University of North Texas, where an award is named in her honor.
Valentina is an elite tennis professional with many years of coaching experience. She continues to inspire her students to achieve their goals and coaches surrounding her to continue pursuing continual education in tennis.
JUNIOR
RACQUET
SPORTS APPRENTICE MEMBERSHIP:
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
1.JOB-READY SKILLS:
Get trained in skills that will set you apart—whether you're interested in coaching, sports management, or simply building a strong foundation for future success.
2.EARN EARLY:
Unlock job opportunities that pay and help you gain hands-on experience immediately.
3.BUILD LIFE SKILLS:
Develop leadership, teamwork, and communication—skills beyond the racquet and prepare you for any path you choose.
4.JOIN A PROFESSIONAL NETWORK:
Connect with coaches, mentors, and industry professionals ready to guide you to your goals.
FOR PARENTS
START THEIR JOURNEY TODAY
This program gives your teen a safe, guided way to explore a career in racquet sports. They'll gain practical skills, work experience, and confidence—all in an environment focused on personal growth and excellence.
Are you 14-17 and passionate about tennis? Start building a future in racquet sports with the RSPA Junior Racquet Sports Apprentice Membership! This program is designed to give you real skills, job opportunities, and valuable connections—all with no application fee, no testing required, and a prorated first-year fee of only $50!
DON’T WAIT
Go to rspa.net today to get more information and set them up for an exciting, fulfilling future in racquet sports!
