WESTWOOD RACQUET CLUB - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Co - Lead Coach at the USTA Sectional Training Center
- Junior Development Director ( PTA )
Andy Findlay graduated from Mercyhurst College in 1981, with 3.4 GPA in Communications, an 81-32 singles record, and a 72-27 doubles count. He was a four-time, 1 st team All-American and Academic All-American. Also, Andy successfully coached the Laker men from 1982-1986. Currently, he is the Tennis Director at both Lake Shore C.C. and Pennbriar A. C. in Erie. Between 1992 - 2003, he was the Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Edinboro University of PA. In May 2004, Andy was inducted into the Mercyhurst Athletic Hall of Fame.
Additionally, Andy owns and operates the Intense Tennis Camps in Western PA in June and July and is a partner in Spring Break Tennis, the largest program of its kind hosting over 200 teams in South. Carolina in February - April.
Andy serves as co-lead Coach at the USTA Sectional Training Center in Pittsburgh and has attended 47 national workshops. Between 1998-2014, he coached the USTA MS Boy's 18's Jr. Intersectional team in SC, IL, and MI. In 1999, Andy completed the USTA High Performance program in Miami. Also in 1999, Andy completed the USTA's Sport Science Level I and II testing and he won the national USTA Collegiate Community Service Award for Div. II schools.
Coach of the Year honors have been bestowed on Andy as men's coach in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference in 2000 and 2003 and as Allegheny Mountain District's winner in 1992 and 1996. In 1991, with his four-year college coach, Dennis Ranalli, the duo was ranked #1 in USTA/Middle States 35's doubles. In 2004 and 2005, he played #1 doubles with Ranalli for the Erie team at the USA League Tennis Sectional Championships in Princeton, NJ.
Job Titles:
- Tennis Professional ( PTR )
Matt graduated from Berry College in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. He also completed Berry's USTA-accredited Professional Tennis Management Program.
Matt currently holds certified ratings as an Elite Professional by the United States Professional Tennis Association (PTA), a Performance Associate Instructor and 10 and Under Instructor by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), Professional by the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR) and Coach by the Professional Platform Tennis Registry (PPTR).
Matt is currently enrolled in University of Florida's Director of Racquet Sports Certification Program and PTA & PTR Mentorship Programs.
Matt is the Tennis Director / Head Professional at the Kahkwa Country Club during the summer season and the Tennis Director / Head Professional at the Lakewood YMCA in Jamestown, NY during the winter months.
Matt was the former head women's tennis coach of SUNY Fredonia where he was named the 2021 PTA Eastern College Coach of Year. During his tenure, he led the team to a conference semi-final appearance in 2018, with a 12-4 record (4-3 conference), a new college record for wins in a season. In addition, several student-athletes on the 2018 roster established a bevy of career and single-season individual and doubles records under his guidance.
Job Titles:
- Tennis Professional ( PTA )
Pat has been a teaching professional for 26 years. He attended Cathedral Prep and was a member of their tennis team from 1979 to 1983 earning District 10 Singles and Doubles titles. He also attended Gannon University on a tennis scholarship earning a degree in Marketing and Management in 1990. He got married in 1992 to Michelle (accountant at Larson text) and has 2 children: Caitlin who is a Early Childhood Intervention Coordinator and Alec who is a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army.
Job Titles:
- Tennis Professional ( PTR )
Pat Grab has been a Tennis Pro at Westwood since 2009. He is certified at the highest level (Professional) through the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR). Pat has been teaching individual and group lessons to children and adults of all ages and abilities and he continues to run many of the Westwood Junior Programs. Pat has been the Head Coach for the Cathedral Prep Tennis Team since 2013. He has been working with the program since 2010, when he started as Assistant behind Head Coach Kent Peightal. As coach, he has helped produce numerous Region and District Team Titles as well as individual titlists in Singles and Doubles. He has also coached two Doubles Teams to PIAA AAA State Championships! Mario Nicolia and Alex Brzozowski won the title in 2011 and the DeMarco brothers, Joe and Matt, won the title in 2015. Pat graduated from Cathedral Prep and went on to play four years at The College of Wooster, in Ohio. By his Senior year, he worked his way up the lineup, playing number one singles and doubles and achieving all-conference honors. He was a Senior Captain and team MVP. Pat continues to play at high level in local tournaments. He was won four City Rec Titles in Singles and four in Doubles, including both in 2016 and 2014. Outside of tennis, he works as a Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker and has his own web design business. He lives in Erie with his wife Emily and their new son Connor.
Ric has been playing and teaching tennis for 35 years. He is PTR certified and has coached tennis at the Collegiate, High School, and Middle School levels. He also served as City Rec. Supervisor/Instructor for 15 years as well as serving as the Head Pro for the Westwood Racquet Club for the past 5 years. Ric is an excellent instructor who is dedicated to his craf and his students of all ages. He keeps up with all the latest techniques, equipment and general information available about the tennis world. He is a great source on all new styles of play. Ric looks forward to seeing you on the court soon for private or group lessons.
Rick is part of the regionally recognized and athletically successful Sertz family, Rick has been involved in over 40 years of coaching at multiple schools in the Erie region and brings a long and distinguished record of championship results. Graduating Cum Laude from Mercyhurst University in 1983 with a BA in History , Rick also received his certification through the two year prestigious Pennsylvania K12 coaching program. Playing and competing in hundreds of regional tournaments, Rick has amassed over 80 plus singles and doubles titles in the tri-state area, culminating in the City Rec Singles championship in 1999 and 3 City Doubles crowns. The impressive Head Coaching resume includes stints at St Joseph, St John, OLP and Cathedral Prep in basketball, and Villa Maria and Fairview in tennis. Most impressive is Rick's 20 year run at Fairview where his teams have won 19 District 10 championships in 21 Final team appearances. He has guided and mentored 28 varsity singles players into the District 10 singles finals with 15 capturing the title. Fifteen Doubles teams have won the District 10 title under his coaching and another 14 reached the Final during his career. The Fairview boys team alone has finished in the PIAA Top Eight over 15 times with the 2010 Tigers finishing state runner-up (the only local boys team to ever make state final). Known widely for his ability to convert the multi-sport athlete into a productive and winning addition to any program, Rick's tireless and constant promotion of tennis and it's lifetime benefits are always on display. Rick resides in Fairview with his wife, Lisa and daughters, Montana and Shannon.