Five Earn USPTA Master Professional Distinction
NEW ORLEANS – The United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) honored five of its members for achieving Master Professional status, the highest professional rating within the tennis profession.
Michael Chamberlain, Christopher Chopra, Stan Oley, James Shaughnessy and John Trinity were honored at the annual awards presentation during the USPTA World Conference on Sept. 25 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans.
Members must hold USPTA’s highest certification rating (Elite Professional) for more than 10 years before becoming eligible for the Master Professional designation. Then each must fulfill a broad spectrum of requirements, including making significant achievements in areas such as tennis teaching and coaching, business, education and volunteer work.
Michael Chamberlain’s career has come full circle, beginning at the Memphis Racquet Club’s Junior Academy Program in 1985 to now serving as the club’s director of tennis where he is the director of the club’s junior academy. He has been a USPTA member for more than 10 years and holds multiple certifications. In 2013, Chamberlain was named the USPTA Tennis Professional of the Year by the USPTA Southern Division. A year prior, he was named the USTA Tennessee Professional Coach of the Year.
Christopher Chopra began teaching tennis in Richmond, Ind., in 1999. In 2006, he was named the Indiana USPTA Tennis Professional of the Year. He has presented at several USPTA Midwest conventions and Indiana High School Tennis Association Conferences over the years. He is a USPTA Elite Professional, a USTA High Performance Coach, and a member of the Prince National Team. Chopra is currently serving as a Vice President of the USPTA Midwest Executive Board and on the USTA Midwest Talent/ID committee. He is a State Head Coach for the USTA/Midwest Section where he oversees high performance and early developmental camps for all juniors under 14 years old.
Stan Oley has been a tennis-teaching professional for 30 years and is the product marketing specialist for Playmate Ball Machines. He has been a national speaker and a clinician since 1990, and he is a member of the Cardio Tennis Global Speakers Team. Oley’s drills and articles have been published in several publications, including ADDvantage magazine, Tennis Week and PTR Tennis Pro Magazine, and he has been featured in “On Court with USPTA” on the Tennis Channel.
James Shaughnessy is the founder of SCIO 3D Sports, a software company that utilizes data analysis of 3D kinematics and visuals to analyze a tennis player’s technique. Shaughnessy has been a USPTA member for more than 22 years. He is also the Director of Tennis at Oakwood Country Club in Enid, Okla. He is part of the adjunct faculty teaching courses on biomechanics at Oklahoma Baptist University.
John Trinity has been a USPTA member for more than 25 years and is currently the Director of Tennis for the Maplewood Tennis Program and a health and physical education teacher in Dover, N.J. He coached several teams to county and state championships over a 26-year stretch. He was the USPTA High School Coach of the Year in 1991 and chosen New Jersey State Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year in 2009. Trinity also received the prestigious NJSIAA High School Sports Award for contributions and service to high school sports in 2010.
The USPTA National Awards program is conducted annually. Nominations are submitted by the organization’s 17 divisions and by individuals. Recipients in each category are decided by the USPTA’s awards committee.