Steve Gulla

My passion for the sport of tennis began at the age of 13 when I helped a relative put up the fence around his new tennis court. I immediately took to the game and wanted to learn all about it. At the age of 14 I played my first tournament, making the finals and losing in a close match. I continued to learn all I could about the game, the equipment and the mental and physical strategy. That passion catupulted my high school team to division titles, a spot on the all-state team as well as national notoriety in the 80's, being name to the Prince High School All-American tennis team. I was recruited to play college for a division two school, played number one for 3 years and made All-Division several times. I was named captain of the team and was excited to learn that I had won the New England Sportsmanship Award, in which I was the only male in New England to be honored with in 1988.

Since college, I have continued to play and be successful in USTA tournaments at the regional level and have won matches at the national level as well. I have been the head pro at Pond View Racquet Club in Rhode Island, worked with the Ad-In Kids program in New York and New Jersey, am currently a teaching and hitting pro at the Madison Racquet Club in Madison, CT and am the coach of my 12 year old son, who has reached top 6 status in New England and is nationally ranked. I have been inducted into both my high school and college Athletic Hall of Fame for tennis, and last summer won a regional Father - Son tournament that culminated at the women's US Open warmup event (First Niagara tournament) and Caroline Wozniaki presenting my son and I with the winner's trophy. I have also helped out in clinics in the past year with Johan Kriek and Taylor Dent and played with them in an exhibition doubles match. Currently I am number 1 in New England in the 45 and over division.