Coaching Spotlight: Joel Richmond, Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club
Coaches and teachers don’t do what they do in order to earn recognition, or to receive awards and honors that focus on them.
But still, to be honored by an organization for the efforts you put forth, and to have the work you do get noticed means a lot to anyone in those positions. So when Joel Richmond, the co-Director of the Advance QuickStart Tennis program in New York City was named the New York Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) 2023 Coach of the Year earlier this year, he was in awe.
“It’s a very humbling experience, and I’m very proud of the honor,” said Richmond, who received his honor at the annual PTR Symposium in Hilton Head, South Carolina earlier this year. “This is my first recognition in the tennis industry, and I’ve been a part of it for more than 15 years. I’ve been a member of PTR since 2012, when I got certified, and so to win this award is just incredibly humbling. I couldn’t have done it without my team who I have such incredible respect and appreciation for.”
Richmond got his start in the tennis industry like a lot of people, teaching tennis at a local club during summer camp while he was in high school. After playing collegiate tennis at Bard College, he continued his coaching and worked his way through the ranks, joining the Advantage Tennis Clubs team nearly a decade ago. 
While he still coaches on-court, Richmond takes pride in being a leader of his staff, helping to guide his staff into creating the best possible programming for the young kids who come to them to learn tennis.
“I do think of myself more as an organizer. Our staff is mostly part time and come from all walks of life, from retired folks to high school kids, and they are great,” he said. “I love being able to help them develop professionally, and we offer trainings and things like that so they can always be improving. Partnering with the PTR has helped with that a lot.”
The connection between PTR and Advantage Tennis Clubs runs deep, as the clubs encourage employees to become certified instructors and receive continuing education for teaching tennis and working in the tennis industry. Hartman has a close relationship with PTR founder Dennis Van Der Meer in the past, and now collaborates with current CEO Dan Santorum.
Many of Advantage’s top tennis staff, including Richmond as well as Xavier Luna, Gabe Slotnick and Tony Huber are all longtime PTR members.
“I am especially gratified to know that the larger tennis community has recognized the way Advantage organizes and delivers the QuickStart program and provides opportunities to new local talent to get PTR certified and coach in our junior programs and camps,” said Richmond.
Richmond and his team take great pride in providing top-notch teaching and coaching to its young players, and making sure to do so in an engaging way. As a PTR L2 Certified Professional, Richmond uses a game-based approach to help junior players get into the game quickly while developing a proper technical and tactical foundation. With a background in philosophy, he inspires creative learning through inquiry and problem-solving on court.
“I still try to get out on court and teach as much as possible,” he added. “When you have a child who maybe has different expectations, and you’re able to make tennis easier to learn for them, we use different equipment and make it a fun, game-based learning experience. We make sure we put them in engaging drills right from the start.”
From there, the kids who seem to have a talent for tennis or at least demonstrate a passion for the sport, they can move up into the Advanced Red Ball portion of the pathway.
“One of the classes I teach is Advanced Red Ball. There is no bar for getting into that program, and what we look for is kids who are interested and passionate in tennis,” Richmond explained. “Those kids play longer, and then take private lessons, and we see their full tennis development. To work with them and watch them grow is amazing, and what it’s all about.”
Richmond and his team are excited to continue the work they are doing, and are preparing for the coming summer months which always sees an increase in tennis participation across the New York City area. The sport of tennis is in a good place both locally and nationally, and it’s because of leaders such as Richmond who continue to inspire the next generation of tennis players.
“The award is incredibly motivating, and encourages me to continue working hard and always striving to be better,” said Richmond. “When I took the reins of the program soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, there were challenges at the beginning. I also did have some health issues last year which was rough. But this award is rejuvenating and motivating, and establishes a challenge for myself and my team to continue doing what we’re doing. I embrace the challenge of growing this program and always looking to innovate, which is something all of us in the tennis industry should always strive to do.”
