Tennis Lessons

Tennis Director

Michael Bratt

Michael joined Club Fit Briarcliff in March of 2013 as a Tennis Professional. He quickly built up a large following of all ages and levels. Michael has coached nationally and sectionally ranked juniors, collegiate players and both men and women professional circuit players. He is known for his ability to motivate players and bring out their unique individual talents.

Michael’s skills at maximizing a player’s potential, his work ethic, and his attitude have led his players to succeed at levels they never thought possible. He is recognized as a top developer of junior talent. Many of his students have gone on to attend and play on tennis teams at colleges around the country. Michael has been a huge proponent of increasing junior, adult and senior tennis. He shows his dedication to all players, from the beginner to the top ranked competitors.

Michael had a major influence in growing the tennis program at Club Fit in Briarcliff and now we’ve been able to steal him away to be our Program Director here at Club Fit Jefferson Valley.

Testimonials

“I want to let you know how thrilled I am with the coaching I am receiving from Michael Bratt. Having never played tennis before, I decided to try it and quickly realized that I needed help. My wife played as a teen and we agreed to take an initial lesson at Club Fit. Our lesson was scheduled with Michael and from our initial greeting, both my wife and I felt connected to Michael. After our first lesson, we agreed that we would sign-on for more lessons with Michael. We have now been taking lessons once a week for the past month. Michael is very friendly and makes every lesson fun. While it is great to have fun, Michael’s drills and coaching have consistently improved our tennis skill. I am also attending a weekly tennis clinic that Michael facilitates and the drills have further improved my game.” – Glenn Harris

High Performance Director

William O’Connell

William is a World Tennis (WT) certified High-Performance Tennis Coach and certified USTA Coaching Specialist with coaching experience across the professional (Billie Jean King Cup, Pacific Games), collegiate (NCAA D1, NJCAA), and elite junior (ITF Junior Circuit, USTA) levels.

From August 2020 to September 2026, William was an integral part of the coaching team at Raleigh Racquet Club, helping develop national and international junior champions. Together, they earned 30 USTA gold (7), silver (14), and bronze balls (7), and more than 130 USTA Level 2, 3, and 4 titles. The players earned 20 WT Tour Junior titles, including a J200 and three J300 titles.

Born and raised in Fiji with a racquet in his hand, William has proudly competed for Pacific Oceania (Davis Cup) and Fiji (Pacific Games), as well as several college tennis programs where he earned degrees. William is passionate about molding responsible, resourceful, and resilient players whose lives are enriched by what they learn on court. William’s coaching journey is documented on his instagram, @tennisrecon.

Head Tennis Professional

Michael Chitu

Michael has over 20 years of instructional tennis experience. He is P-1 certified to teach tennis by the USPTA. In 2010, he completed a course specializing in the development of a high performance player. He has been head tennis pro at Club Fit for eight years. Previously he taught tennis at the Dave Strebel Academy and at the Manhattan Square tennis club.

Michael was the Head Tennis Coach for the Harley/Allendale Columbia High School in Rochester, NY for the two years prior to his arrival at Club Fit. Michael is originally from Romania, where he coached tennis for ten years. He earned his degree in physical education and sports in Bucharest, Romania in 1994. His major was in tennis coaching and team handball. While in Romania, he coached young students at all levels who went on to be ranked on the Junior Tour. His strengths are in developing students of all levels and ages, with solid tennis form, skills, and game strategy. He is dedicated to his students and commands a great deal of respect for his commitment to bringing out the best in them.

Tennis Professional

Todd Ruben

Todd Ruben was born and raised in the NYC area, and is a graduate of The University of Hartford’s business school. He is a USPTA and Coach Youth Tennis certified coach who has been teaching tennis since 2012.

His unique ability to work with children and love for teaching tennis was the main reason for his career change after 15 years of running a successful marketing company. Todd’s goal is to ensure that the kids have a great time and want to keep playing tennis long into the future. If you ever hear your children mention “Coach Toad” that’s his nickname!

Tennis Professional

Marty Fried

Marty and his family have lived in Somers for over 30 years. Marty has been involved in every aspect of tennis. He has taught at numerous clubs, coached high school teams, played NCAA collegiate tennis and has been a ranked player in the Eastern section of the USTA. He is a certified USPTA professional.

Tennis Pro

Aleksi Gottlieb

Aleksi grew up competing in junior tournaments across Florida before playing NCAA Division 1 tennis at Bryant University, where she served as team captain during her junior and senior years. After graduating in 2020, she returned to South Florida to begin her coaching career, specializing in developing junior players for the ITF and collegiate levels and leading women’s league teams. Aleksi is passionate about player development and is excited to bring her energy and expertise to the Club Fit Jefferson Valley community!

Tennis Professional

Michael Moore

Michael Moore is a former Division I collegiate tennis player who competed on a full athletic scholarship at Florida A&M University. He brings extensive experience in high-performance player development, working with nationally ranked juniors, ITF players, collegiate athletes, and players competing on the professional circuit.

As a coach, Michael focuses on developing complete players through strong technical foundations, movement and footwork, point construction, match strategy, and competitive decision-making. His coaching approach combines high standards with individualized development, helping players build confidence, understand their game, and develop the tools needed to succeed at increasingly competitive levels.

Adam Marianacci

Adam was born and raised in Greenwich, CT competing in the Eastern section as a junior and helping lead the Greenwich High School varsity team to two state finals appearances.

Adam continued his tennis career at the University of Redlands in California, playing as high as #3 singles on a team that ranked No. 7 nationally in NCAA Division III. He later earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Fordham University.

Following his collegiate career, Adam began coaching professionally and has spent nearly 15 years developing players across Westchester County. Most recently, he served for nearly a decade as Director of Tennis at Willowbrook Swim and Tennis Club in Mount Kisco, NY, where he significantly expanded the program and established himself as a respected leader in the tennis community. After Willowbrook, he collaborated with a team in developing an AI-powered tennis ball machine, further broadening his perspective on innovation in the sport.

Adam brings his passion for player development and years of coaching and leadership experience. He looks forward to guiding players on their journey, fostering a love for the sport, and creating an environment where everyone feels encouraged, supported, and inspired.