TENNIS PROFESsIONALS
Director of Tennis Rick Bograd: Rick enjoys working with any player who has a passion for learning and improvement, regardless of level. He has taught complete beginners through world ranked pros, ages 3-90, at every ability level. He has also coached countless local juniors who have achieved USTA rankings and played high school and college tennis as well as adults who have competed on club and USTA teams.
As a former attorney who prefers the tennis court to a court of law, Rick’s students benefit from his diagnostic expertise and ability to impart his understanding of strategy, technique, and sport psychology into useful information to produce results. For his more competitive students, he believes that improving performance requires training on mindfulness, the mental game and more effective problem solving under pressure. He treats each student uniquely and tries to prioritize areas to focus on based on where they are in their own tennis journey.
Rick has been teaching tennis in the local community for over 30 years. He grew up in Glen Rock, was a highly ranked junior, played #1 singles and doubles as co-Captain of the Tulane tennis team, then earned a world ATP ranking on the men’s professional tour.
Formerly Director of Tennis at Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club, Rick currently teaches outdoors at Brookside Racquet and Swim Club and indoors at Waldwick Covered Courts and Quest.
Dave Ring: Dave brings experience, great people skills and a passion for the sport of tennis. He has been teaching area athletes for over 25 years. You can find Dave during the warm months at Brookside and over the winter at Fair Lawn Racquet Club. Dave was First singles at Don Bosco High School in Ramsey, as a high school senior. Dave achieved All American honors at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida. He became 3-time Rockland County Singles Champion. He also pursued and won the Bergen County Singles Championship. He began his first teaching experiences at Brookside Racquet Club. By 1988, Dave received a call from the representatives of Steffi Graf. During Ms. Graf’s run to the US Open title that fall, Dave drilled extensively at a local family’s court and at the US Open facilities with her. The following year, Dave again was approached by her representatives, and spent more time preparing her for the local Ramapo tournament and the 1989 US Open. Steffi won both Open titles. Dave elected to travel overseas where he played for a professional German Club Tennis Team. He returns for the summer teaching at Brookside.
Cathy Maso Giannelli: Representing Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, Cathy played the #1 position on the tennis team during her high school years. She guided the Ramapo team to the Bergen County and State Championships and won both County and State Championships individually during this time. Upon winning an International Tournament at age 17, Cathy decided to accept a full four-year tennis scholarship to the University of Miami in Florida. At Miami, she played both singles and doubles and received a BA degree in Psychology. Cathy turned Professional upon graduating from college. During her professional career, she held a world ranking in both singles and doubles. She competed against Pam Shriver, Jana Novotna, Gabriella Sabatini and Tracy Austin among many other pros. Cathy has been inducted twice into the Ramapo High School Hall of Fame for both her individual accomplishments and for her State Championship Team.
For the last 30 years, Cathy has been sharing her expertise and experience with many of the local high school athletes from the area. In the winter, Cathy teaches nearby at the Waldwick Covered Courts and Quest Tennis in Mahwah and then spends her spring and summers teaching tennis at Brookside.