Meet the Tennis Central Leadership Team!

Part of Tennis Central’s mission is to provide mentoring and community service opportunities for our students and players. By joining Tennis Central’s Leadership Team, these high school students commit volunteer community service hours with our year-round programs. Student athletes gain valuable on the job training, experience and develop qualifications that will benefit their future.
These team members are Game Changers! Our Leadership Team Members help with on court tennis instruction, mentoring, assisting with educational components and other duties as needed. A yearly performance evaluation helps Tennis Central Leadership Team Members reflect on their work ethic and set personal goals in areas such as dependability, adaptability, cooperation and communication. All team members must maintain a 3.0 or higher grade point average. We appreciate these young people that have dedicated their time and efforts to growing tennis and education in our community.

Tennis Central Team Leaders

Londyn Pugh

Class of 2029
McCaskey High School
6 years playing tennis
Hobbies: playing softball, field hockey, and tennis

Being part of the leadership team has helped me learn how to not only be responsible for myself, but for others as well. It has also taught me how to be encouraging and positive.

Reece Wilson

Class of 2028
Ephrata High School
8 years playing tennis
Hobbies: Ping pong, pickelball, golf, running, swimming

Being a part of the leadership team has helped me develop better habits and skills and helped me work with kids.

Tirth Parikh

Class of 2027
Manheim Township High School
5 years playing tennis
Hobbies: Tennis, piano, and reading

Being a part of the leadership team has been a transformative experience, offering opportunities for personal growth, friendship, and community engagement. I’ve developed essential life skills like kindness, collaboration, and leadership, and honed my tennis skills. I’ve connected with my community, mentored younger children, and cultivated lifelong skills like teamwork and compassion. As a coach, I’ve enjoyed supporting and encouraging others, sharing my passion for tennis, and witnessing progress. This experience has been truly special, helping me become a better leader, coach, and person.

Theo Vogt-Post

Class of 2027
CCA
10 years playing tennis
Hobbies: Fashion, playing the violin, and photography

I have gained a lot more self-confidence as a result of being a member of the leadership team.

Paityn Gerz

Class of 2027
Lancaster Mennonite School
6 years playing tennis
Hobbies: playing softball, field hockey, and tennis

Being part of the leadership team has helped me learn how to not only be responsible for myself, but for others as well. It has also taught me how to be encouraging and positive.

Luke Over

Class of 2027
Hempfield High School
10 years playing tennis
Hobbies: playing soccer, golf, tennis, and camping

Being a leadership team member has helped me to learn how to teach tennis to younger players. It has also helped me meet new people and make new friends.

Ruby Edwards

Class of 2026
Lancaster Country Day School
3 years playing tennis
Hobbies: Olympic Weightlifting, reading, dancing, and tennis

Being a part of the leadership team has helped me make more connections in the tennis community. Also, it has taught me skills such as leadership, communication, and time management.

Jade Flores

Class of 2026
Conestoga Valley
10 years playing tennis
Hobbies: playing violin, Mock Trial, and tennis

I have gained a lot more self-confidence and am comfortable playing a leadership role as a result of being part of the leadership team.

Todd Weist

Class of 2026
Ephrata High School
12 years playing tennis
Hobbies: playing sports and saxophone, flying planes and tennis

Being a leadership team member means a lot to me. I have met many new people and made friends as a result. It has taught me how to be a great leader and coach. I also am learning important life skills like kindness and collaboration. Being a part of the leadership team has given me many opportunities that I would not have otherwise recieved.

Lilly Briner

Class of 2025
Manheim Township High School
13 years playing tennis
Hobbies: photography, traveling, going to concerts, surfing, and tennis

Being on the leadership team has helped me with my time management and given me a new sense of responsibility for myself and others. It has also helped me look at tennis from a different point of view as a coach rather than a player.

Selena Felices

Class of 2025
Hempfield High School
5 years playing tennis
Hobbies: baking, writing, arts, and tennis

Being a leadership team member has allowed me to connect with my community and help the people around me. I am able to work with younger children and help them start their own pathway into tennis. I also am developing better teamwork, leadership, communication, and tennis skills.

Camille Honrade

Class of 2025
Manheim Township High School
7 years playing tennis
Hobbies: playing piano, cooking, and tennis

Being a leadership team member has taught me to be sensitive to other’s needs and wants and how to foster a positive team environment. This opportunity has provided me with valuable life skills I will never forget.

Michael Georgelis

Class of 2025
Lancaster Country Day School
10 years playing tennis
Hobbies: traveling, hiking, investing, reading, golfing, and tennis (PIAA State Champion)

Being a leadership team member has been extremely rewarding for me. Working with the kids and being able to teach them about a sport that I enjoy so much is fulfilling.

Lindsay Over

Class of 2025
Hempfield High School
12 years playing tennis
Hobbies: photography, hiking, reading, traveling, running, playing violin and tennis

Being a member of the leadership team has allowed me to grow as both an individual and as a tennis player. Through the leadership team, I am able to share my love of the sport to many people. I have gained lasting skills that will stay with me in whatever I pursue in the future.

Carrington Bernabei

Class of 2024
The Hill School
8 years playing tennis
Hobbies: reading, surfing, hiking, running, tennis and weightlifting

Getting to be a part of the leadership team has been so special for me. It has allowed me to develop my coaching and leadership abilities on and off the court, providing me with lifelong skills of teamwork and compassion. It has been so special to get to support, encourage and watch progress as a coach, as well as simply getting to share my love of the game

Delaine Edwards

Class of 2024
Lancaster Country Day School
10 years playing tennis
Hobbies: hiking, reading, traveling, running, and tennis

The leadership team has taught me valuable life skills like patience, hard work, and leadership. It has also helped me build a community with other team members and the kids I coach.

Pierce Leaman

Class of 2024
Lancaster County Christian School
8 years playing tennis
Hobbies: reading any history book, cheering on my favorite sports teams, spending time with friends, traveling to any new and interesting destination and tennis

Being on the leadership team has helped me learn how to be a good example to those who look up to me, as well as become a more organized person in terms of supervising people. It has also been an amazing way for me to give back to the tennis community that has helped me become a better player, which I hope to as I move into more leadership roles in college and in my career.

Madeline Sanchez

Class of 2024
Manheim Township High School
9 years playing tennis
Hobbies: baking, cooking, playing the guitar, and tennis

For me, being on the leadership team has given me the opportunity to showcase my leadership abilities. I am surrounded by many other amazing leaders who I can learn from and work together to better the tennis experience for the kids we teach. The leadership team has also provided me with educational resources such as SAT study preparation and tips for interviews. I will be attending Lehigh University in the fall.

Catherine Sanchez

Class of 2024
Hempfield High School
9 years playing tennis
Hobbies: playing tennis, volleyball, playing piano, baking or cooking, and art

Being on the leadership team has shaped and improved my preparation for the future. Through various resources, we learn how to be responsible and take the necessary steps to be successful. I have connected with so many wonderful people who have helped me through each chapter of my life. I am so grateful to have had once in a lifetime experiences that have taught me to take advantage of every opportunity. I will be attending Lehigh University in the fall to study Architecture.

Peter Sanchez

Class of 2024
Manheim Township High School
9 years playing tennis
Hobbies: lifting, playing the piano, writing, and tennis

Not only has being on the leadership team given me amazing opportunities to travel and participate in super fun events, but it has also helped me grow as a person. I’ve learned how to better communicate and understand young kids, my patience has become a strength, and I have also gotten an opportunity to connect with many of my Aces peers who I wouldn’t have known otherwise. I will be attending St. Joseph’s University in the Fall

Brandy Nguyen

Class of 2023
Temple University
7 years playing tennis
Hobbies: reading any history book, cheering on my favorite sports teams, spending time with friends, traveling to any new and interesting destination and tennis

Being part of the leadership team has been incredibly rewarding. It’s helped me make new friends and learn important lessons like responsibility and kindness from others. Working with the kids on the court has taught me patience and shown me how fulfilling it is to guide them in learning the sport of tennis. Seeing their progress and how much they enjoy the sport motivates me to work harder and continue supporting them in their tennis journey.

Jamilex Rodriguez

Class of 2025
Lancaster Country Day School
3 years playing tennis
Hobbies: playing tennis

I have played tennis for three years, and being a part of the leadership team has only enhanced that experience. The Aces leadership program has helped me improve many of my social and tennis skills.

Patrick Fahey

Class of
Penn Manor High School
9 years playing tennis
Hobbies: playing tennis

Mystique Avellanet

Class of 2024
J.P McCaskey High School
Since she was 8 with 2 years of high school tennis
Hobbies: listening to music, researching about history, watching movies, and playing tennis

Being a leadership team member has helped me in more ways than one. The main part of it was that it taught me how to begin coaching other people and sometimes even myself. Another thing it taught me was friendship and how to make friends with not only the kids I’m coaching, but the other team members as well who were from different schools.

Julia Briner

Class of 2021
Manheim Township High School
13 years playing tennis
Hobbies: tennis, track & field, art

Being a leadership member has helped me connect with my community and give back. It makes me feel good knowing I am helping others. This will help me in the future by helping me to gain experience with community service.

Brighid Cantwell

Class of 2020
Hempfield High School
7 years playing tennis
Hobbies: drawing, theater, especially musicals, travel, tennis

I plan on attending college and graduate school. I enjoy science so I’ll likely pursue that as a career but I’m not sure exactly which branch of science.

Tierney Cantwell

Class of 2020
Hempfield High School
7 years playing tennis
Hobbies: reading, fiction books, photography, travel

I know I want to attend college and am still deciding exactly what field I want to pursue. Some of my favorite classes have been World History, English and Drawing II.

George Fenimore

Class of 2023
J.P. McCaskey High School
6 years playing tennis
Hobbies: traveling, music, and the outdoors

Being a part of the Leadership Team has helped me meet new people and gain cooperation and problem solving skills. The leadership team has given me an understanding for what it’s like to work in a positive and fun environment.

William Fenimore

Class of 2020
J.P. McCaskey High School
14 years playing tennis
Hobbies: tennis, soccer, skiing, being outdoors, and traveling

My future plans include an upcoming trip to Patagonia and eventually attending college to study science.

Henry Gallagher

Class of 2020
Ephrata Senior High School
7 years playing tennis
Hobbies: computer science, playing board games, and spending time with my dog

Being part of the leadership team has helped me to learn how to form a positive image for others and will be a noteworthy part of my high school resume when applying for scholarships.

Ryan Gerhardt

Class of 2022
Lampeter-Strasburg High School
8 years playing tennis
Hobbies: swimming, singing, writing

I enjoy teaching younger kids about the game of tennis and I appreciate the relationships I have built with other members. In the future, I plan to attend college and possibly study in the healthcare field.

Madeleine Gerz

Class of 2022
Lancaster Mennonite High School
2 years playing tennis
Hobbies: tennis, softball and art

I am interested in sports medicine, and my hope is to be able to play tennis in college while going to school to be an athletic trainer. Being on the leadership team has taught me the importance of working (and playing) hard, and that you can also have a lot of fun while doing so. It has taught me to set goals, to be more confident in myself, and how rewarding helping others can be. It has helped me build strong bonds with some really great tennis players. Most importantly being a team member has shown me the importance of encouraging and working with younger or new players.

Reece Girdharry

Class of 2022
Lancaster Mennonite High School
5 years playing tennis
Hobbies: tennis, soccer

Being on the leadership team has helped me to improve at tennis by teaching it to others. I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of such a great community. Future plans I hope to play tennis all through the rest of high school and have aspirations to play in college.

Kayla Kurtz

Class of 2023
Manheim Township High School
6 years playing tennis
Hobbies: Playing tennis and lacrosse, being involved in student council and key club at school

Being a member of the leadership team has helped me grow as a better person and it has helped with skills such as working together with a team and communicating with the younger kids. In the future, I would love to attend college and hopefully play tennis.

Cooper Linkey

Lancaster Catholic High School
3 years playing tennis
Hobbies: tennis, cross country, and skiing/snowboarding

Being on the leadership team has helped me because businesses and organizations are interested in hiring me because of the hours of service I have put into the leadership program. It has also helped me want to improve my tennis game. After high school, I plan on attending college, right now I would like to go to Pitt.

Lance Wilson

Class of 2028
Messiah University
12 years playing tennis
Hobbies: golf, pickelball, basketball, disc golf, ping pong, and tennis

Being a part of the leadership team has helped me grow as an individual through character development. It has also helped me connect with kids in the community and teach them the sport of a lifetime.

Chase Wilson

Class of 2021
Ephrata High School
9 years playing tennis
Hobbies: teaching tennis, video games, ping pong, backyard sports, riding 4 wheeler and hanging out with friends.

The Leadership Team has helped me develop character traits such as leadership and responsibility. My future plans are to attend college and become a doctor. I also would like to play college tennis.

Sarah Shaub

Class of 2021
Hempfield High School
4 years playing tennis
Hobbies: Playing tennis, hanging out with friends and family, and traveling

Being apart of the leadership team not only helped me open new opportunities for me but it also let me build friendships and let me help my community! My future plans are to attend college and major in Cybersecurity or Civil Engineering.

Our former Tennis Central Team Leaders…

Where are they now?

Chase Wilson

Currently, I attend Messiah University in Pennsylvania where I play #1 on the team, and really enjoy it, and have definitely seen growth in myself. The Tennis Central Leadership team helped me discover my leadership qualities. My future plans would consist of graduating and going to medical school. I love helping people, on and off the court, and my tennis has helped me to learn to help others.

Jenny Chung

Currently, I attend Loyola University in Maryland with a major in Business Management. I am really enjoying it and have definitely seen growth in myself. With tennis, I do frequently go out into the courts and play with my friends just to relax and have fun. My future plans would consist of graduating and having a position somewhere in HR or even becoming a manager at a local establishment within Lancaster. From there on, I will figure out where my plans will take me.

Julia Darkey

I attend Rhodes College in Memphis, TN where I play tennis and study psychology. Unfortunately, during my first match freshman year, I tore my ACL so I was unable to play the rest of the season. In March I was finally cleared and was able to play one doubles match but then because of the COVID-19 situation, my season was canceled. Hopefully, junior year will be my year to finally get a season in! I plan on playing college tennis until I graduate and the sport I love for the rest of my life, but after college, I am going to go to focus on sports psychology to be a sports counselor.

* Check out how Julia used her experience with Tennis Central for her high school graduation project! See her essay here and her PowerPoint here. *

Mario Heitmann

Hello my name is Mario Heitmann. I’ve participated in Tennis Aces since I was 10 years old and was a member of the Leadership Team for 2 years. I also played tennis for McCaskey High School under Delaine Mast. I attended the University of Pittsburgh with a Political Science major and a History minor. Although I am not playing tennis as frequently right now, I am rock climbing. I find this uses a lot of the same skills I learned in tennis like perseverance and endurance. I am planning to study abroad in England my junior year and will look to do something in the political field when I graduate college.

Kendall Kubis

I am well into my college career at Northwestern University studying Neuroscience and Communication Sciences & Disorders. I am on the club tennis team, and putting the planning skills I built through Tennis Central to use as the activities coordinator for Best Buddies, an organization that partners one-on-one with students with disabilities from a local school in Evanston. I am planning to go to med-school and find a career as a Pediatric Neurologist. Looking forward to the future!

Evan Winters

I am now attending Elizabethtown college as I am a Finance Major looking to hopefully be a financial advisor or analyst in the future after graduating college. College is definitely a different experience but one I have enjoyed every moment of! It has truly been awesome to had been apart of this program!