When the Paseo Club was built in 2003, it was a tennis club. Although the club has expanded and diversified to include dozens of fitness, Pilates, swimming, and pickleball activities, members’ love for the tennis department runs deep.
Whether you are a long-time member or just joined last week, there are likely many instructors you have seen around but have not yet met. We want to take a moment to introduce you to an important part of the club community — the very talented pro tennis instructors.
In this article, you will learn who the tennis instructors are at the club, what drills they teach, why they love to be instructors, and their favorite success stories.
Who are the pro tennis instructors at the Paseo Club?
Dustin Kua
Certification/Training:
Three years coaching tennis at the Paseo Club, former Division 1 college tennis player for three years, competed in ITF and USTA national tournaments as a junior tennis player. Currently attending Pepperdine for a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology.
What drills do you teach?
I teach live ball hitting, with an emphasis on tournament/match toughness, strategy, and high-intensity movement drills. I work with advanced juniors (tournament training and high performance) and adults to help them develop court awareness, confidence building, and positive self-talk during competition.
What do you love about teaching tennis?
I love seeing my students not only improve their tennis skills, technique, and strategy but also develop their own individual identity. I see them mature and improve both on and off the court. I find joy in seeing each student grow their autonomy, drive, and confidence to engage in challenging and rewarding tasks.
What is your favorite student success story?
I have worked with two junior tennis players who graduated high school competing in some of the top USTA and ITF (International Tennis Federation) tournaments including the Level 1 Kalamazoo boys 16’s USTA National tournament and the Level 1 San Diego girls 18’s Hard Court USTA National tournament. Both of these players have succeeded both on and off the court and are now pursuing their collegiate careers due to their impressive balance of attending school and maintaining a rigorous tennis schedule.
Jackie Lange
Certification/Training:
USPTA (United States Professional Tennis Association)
What drills do you teach?
I am currently teaching summer camp and private instruction.
What do you love about teaching tennis?
I love sharing the fundamentals of all shots with my students. I also love teaching students point plays and strategies they can use to either add pressure or play strengths against an opponent’s weaknesses.
What is your favorite student success story?
Many of my students have made the high school team.
Rene Heger
Certification/Training:
USPTA and PTR High Performance (Professional Tennis Registry)
What drills do you teach?
High Performance Juniors, Adult Live Ball, Ladies 3.5, and Adult Mixed 3.5
What do you love about teaching tennis?
I love seeing players improve.
What is your favorite student success story?
I had a student who started playing at 14 and made high school varsity.
Marcel Contin
Certification/Training:
Marcel is a skillful player and has one year of teaching experience at the Paseo Club
What drills do you teach?
Summer camp and Challengers Juniors group
What do you love about teaching tennis?
I love seeing when a concept finally clicks for the student.
What is your favorite student success story?
I love helping students get into college tennis or top ITF tournaments.
Gabriel (Gabe) Harmat
What is your certification or training?
USPTA Elite Professional and USPTR Professional, Wingate Sports Institute-certified coach (Israel), Bally's gym-certified personal trainer
What drills do you teach?
I teach USTA teams at levels 3.0 and 4.0 and Tennis TOP 50, Stroke Production and Play, and The Sunday Special drills
What do you love about teaching tennis?
The biggest joy for me as a tennis coach is helping people to achieve their tennis goals and promote a healthy lifestyle. My fifty-plus years of coaching experience comes in handy in developing social players, weekend warriors, high school competitors, or college players. I feel blessed to be a part of their life-changing journey.
What is your favorite student success story?
There is one success story that stands out to me in my coaching career. I had the privilege of coaching Nir Wellgreen from Israel. He already had an ATP ranking but needed more points to enter the US OPEN qualifying. After training for a few months in LA, Nir traveled to Brazil to compete on the ATP tour. A couple of months later I received a phone call from Brazil. It was Nir. "I'm in, I'll meet you in New York,” he told me. He picked up 85 ATP points! I was on a red-eye flight to Flushing Meadows. Nir went three rounds in the qualies and his ATP ranking has shot up to 160.
Kenny Puvogel
What is your certification or training?
USPTA-certified tennis teaching professional and USPTA-certified pickleball teaching professional
What drills do you teach?
I teach the tennis drills Rise and Shine Revelry and Rally, Tennis Trifecta, and Starter Drills. I also teach a starter pickleball drill.
What do you love about teaching tennis?
I love teaching members a sport they can have fun playing and getting better at for the rest of their lives. It is great to see members experience the benefits of exercise and how those benefits span their bodies and their minds as well. There is a reason they sometimes call tennis and pickleball “chess with exercise” or “boxing without gloves.“
What is your favorite student success story?
When I speak of a student success story, I must change the word from student to “students.” I have taught at the Paseo Club for 16, going on 17 years. I have had the pleasure of being involved with many students through our junior academy program, tennis camps, and private lessons. Many of my students have gone on to have very successful high school careers with some of them carrying their success to college. A few students that are in the forefront of my mind are Amanda Tabanera, Adam Chodur, Jackson Boxall, and current Paseo tennis pro, Jackie Resler (Lange). I have had the awesome privilege of being a tennis coach at four of the high schools in the area: West Ranch, Valencia, Canyon, and Golden Valley. I was able to coach many of the Paseo Junior Academy members there.
Aleksey Zharinov
Certification/Training:
USPTA Professional 2
What drills do you teach? Technique and Cardio, Most Dedicated, Gladiator, and the Tom Rettenmaier Memorial Drill
What do you love about teaching tennis?
I love showing what’s possible in the game and helping expand my students’ arsenal and understanding of the game.
What is your favorite student success story?
My favorite student success story is when I helped my first Division 1 student who went on to the University of Minnesota. I’ve worked with him, traveling around the country for a few years. It was awesome to see his hard work pay off. I also love to witness my adult students try and implement shots we have been working on in practice and see their excitement because it actually worked in the match.
Raisa Grinberg
Certification/Training:
Many years of coaching experience at the highest level and formerly ranked #392 in the world.
What drills do you teach?
Cardio drill, challengers, starters, live ball drill, and high performance, tournament training juniors
What do you love about teaching tennis?
After retiring from professional tennis, I shifted my focus into coaching and fell in love with helping others learn the sport that’s giving me so many opportunities in life. I love to see my students grow in skill and become hard workers.
What is your favorite student success story?
I have taught many students, but my favorite student success story will always be my son Matthew.
Darren Woodford
Certification/Training:
Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley
- USPTA Certified Elite Tennis Professional
- USPTA Certified Ten and Under Tennis Professional
- IPTPA Certified Pickleball Instructor
- Extensive Training in Nutrition, Physical, and Mental Conditioning
What drills do you teach?
I primarily teach private drill classes. However, I may start some open drills in the future. I also teach High Performance Juniors.
What do you love about teaching tennis?
I love seeing my players improve.
What is your favorite student success story?
I have had multiple students play in college and go on to become college and professional coaches.
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For the love of tennis
Tennis is a dynamic sport of toughness, agility, endurance, and smarts. It engages the body and the mind. People can play at almost any age, making it a sport for a lifetime.
The Paseo Club is the only private tennis club in the Santa Clarita Valley. With its well-tended courts, team of instructors, and several amenities, it is a great destination for everyone. There are tennis drills for all levels, private lessons, leagues, and tournaments. The comprehensive junior program is for three to seventeen-year-olds.
After a match, come to the cafe for a bite to eat, the steam room or sauna to recover, or take a refreshing dip in the junior Olympic pool.
The Paseo Club is a great place to meet others who value health and fitness. Come to a member mixer, karaoke night, trivia night, or another one of our several social events held every month.
If you are not yet a member of the Paseo Club, this is a great time to join. You can sign up online in just minutes and your membership begins instantly.
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