Brian Hartz
I’m originally from Indiana and played high school and college (NCAA Division III) tennis. St. Petersburg has been my home since 2013, and I’ve been part of the Beach to Bay Tennis “family” since 2015, when I randomly encountered one of Coach Jack Carey’s high-intensity group clinics while walking my dog.
I’ve been a certified tennis instructor since 2019, a certified pickleball instructor since 2021, and a one-hand backhand aficionado since the first time I held a racquet. I enjoy coaching kids and beginner and intermediate adults, as well as anyone who’s coming back to the court after an injury or other time off.
I host Beach to Bay’s Friday evening “Boot Camp” clinic and Saturday morning “Power Hour” clinic, both for intermediate adults, as well as a group class for middle-school kids on Wednesday evenings. I’m also available for private lessons.
Contact Brian via email.
Amedeo Isoldi
Hi,
Hi, I am Amedeo!
Originally from Italy, I moved to Florida eight years ago and have called St. Pete home ever since. I’ve been passionate about tennis since I was a kid, whether it was watching matches on TV or playing recreationally with friends and family. I started playing much more consistently after
moving to Florida, and over the past eight years I’ve trained regularly and competed in numerous Ultimate Tennis tournaments at the 4.5 level, as well as UTR events around the 5.5 level.
I’ve been playing tennis since I was six, and I enjoy working with players who are looking to learn the game, build confidence, and improve their overall understanding of tennis. I especially enjoy teaching beginners and recreational players, focusing on fundamentals such as groundstrokes, volleys, movement, positioning, and basic to intermediate match tactics.
For me, tennis is as much about enjoying the game as it is about improving. I try to bring that same approach to my lessons and create an environment where players can learn, have fun, and become more comfortable on the court.
Outside of tennis, I enjoy playing with my fiancée — who is, admittedly, a much better player than me — and kitesurfing whenever I get the opportunity.
Contact Amedeo at 813-215-471
Marco Lerra
Hi, I’m Marco! I split my time between St. Petersburg and my hometown — Boston (go Sawx!). I’ve been part of Beach to Bay Tennis for more than a decade as a player, and recently I became a certified tennis instructor through Professional Tennis Registry (PTR). I don’t take myself too seriously and am known as the “class clown” of Beach to Bay Tennis. If you like to laugh a lot while you play tennis, I’m your guy!
However, I am serious about growing the sport of tennis and its appeal to young kids and teens. I recently wrote and published a children’s book about tennis called A Duck’s Tale. It’s the first installment in a series about how you can improve your tennis skills by observing animals in the wild. My 13-year-old nephew Luca illustrated it. Give it a read and let me know what you think!
Contact Marco via email.
Motez Robinson Jr.
You can call me Coach Mo!
Six years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I made a bold decision that changed everything: I walked away from a traditional staff tennis instructor/coach role after 16 years to launch my own independent business. I have a background in social psychology and sports psychology, and I am the founder and director of Mo Tennis Coaching Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to making tennis more accessible for beginners and helping fellow coaches start their own independent tennis business. I teach using the Modern Tennis Methodology (MTM) to help players transform their games naturally and efficiently.
I believe conventional tennis instruction has made the game far more difficult than it needs to be by clinging to antiquated techniques. You don’t need a luxury resort or decades of practice to play good tennis — you just need a methodology that works with your body, combined with honest effort. Whether you want to sharpen your stroke mechanics, boost your cardio on the court, or build your own independent tennis career, you can start today without any sales pitch or pressure.
My coaching experience runs the gamut from junior to adult beginner, intermediate, and advanced players. One of my specialties is up-tempo cardio tennis set to music, and I’m bringing that to Beach to Bay Tennis with a Friday morning cardio tennis class from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
I’m also the author of 21st Century Tennis: 7 Natural Adjustments to Transform Your Game. Check it out if you want to get a sense of my approach to coaching tennis. Hope to see you on the court soon!
Contact Coach Mo via email.
Steve Valentine
My name is Steve. I’m native to St. Pete and have lived here my whole life. I played baseball in college but I chose to revert back to tennis in my “retirement.” I’ve been coaching tennis for a few years now, and I’m currently the head coach at Boca Ciega High School.
If I’m not playing or coaching tennis, I’m writing about it. I am actively doing tennis journalism for a few different companies.
The goal is to get you as enthusiastic about tennis as I am. Let’s go out there and get better while having fun doing it.
Contact Steve via email.
More coach bios to come. Stay tuned!