Howie & Wendy Burnett

Retired Owners and Operators of (Net Advantage LLC), a tennis club and program management business established in New Hampshire in 1974. The business expanded to multiple locations in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Florida until Howie and Wendy retired in 2012.

Howie was the President of the New England Division of the USPTA from 1989 to 1992 and served on the USPTA Executive Committee during those years. He also served for many years on the Board of Directors of the USTA In New England and he was President of the New Hampshire Tennis association.

Howie served as the Head Coach Of the USTA Training Center for New Hampshire and Central Massachusetts from 1988 until it moved to Fl in 1998.

Howie Burnett was inducted into the USPTA New England Hall of Fame in May of 2016.

He also authored NET NOTES (common sense ideas to lift your game) and after he retired, he worked for TennisNow.com writing and photographing ATP & WTA Tourneys. He did so until Wendy requested for him to be at home to help her care for her increasingly ill mother.

Howie still teaches and coaches a few hours a week at private courts on Marco Island.

QUESTIONS FOR HOWIE AND WENDY

TCB: Where was Howie born?
HB: I was born in Lynn Ma (a suburb of Boston)

TCB: How old was Howie when he started with tennis and who introduced him?
HB: I started tennis at 15 after a football injury sidelined me for the season -- my dad had exposed me to tennis by taking me to the US PRO CHAMPIONSHIP at Longwood Cricket Club in Boston where i saw THE ROCKET play-- live from 20 feet away ----seeing Laver play hooked me for life !

TCB: When did Howie start teaching tennis and why?
HB: I started teaching Tennis after being introduced to the legendary Harvard coach Jack Barnaby and was able to attend his coaching classes at Harvard during the summers of 1969&1970

TCB: Where was Wendy born?
WB: I am from Saugus Ma (also a Boston suburb)

TCB: How old was Wendy when she started with tennis and who introduced her?
WB: I started tennis at age 24 after our daughter was born. I started her playing so we could spend time together.

TCB: When did Wendy start teaching tennis and why?
WB: Wendy started teaching in 1980 to assist in our rapidly expanding business.

TCB: How did you guys meet?
HB: We met at the Beach the day after I returned from the Newport Folk Festival in late July of 1966.

TCB: Looking back, what was your secret to working together for 40 years?
HB: We both had a love of tennis and had a passion to grow our sport . She could do anything from a kids class to doing payroll and managing a staff of 50 as the general manager of our base club (The Great Bay Athletic Club) in NH. If we had a secret it was understanding each others jobs and appreciating each other !

TCB: Have you played pickleball? Are you teaching it, too?
HB: Yes we have played pickleball (mostly with our grand daughters) but don't teach it -- (it exploded after we retired)!

TCB: What's your both tennis racquets of choice?
HB: I play with Babolat frames and Wendy has always played Head frames.

TCB: Thank you, guys.

Timote Paul Loew & Anais Gomar Isart

We are Timote Paul Loew (French) and Anais Gomar Isart (Spanish) both working currently in the island of Hainan, China. We are both certified tennis coaches. Timote has the French tennis certification (DEJEPS specialised in tennis) and I have the GPTCA level C and B)

QUESTIONS FOR Timote and Anais

TCB: Where was Timote born?
T&A: Timote was born in Paris, France

TCB: How old was Timote when he started with tennis and who introduced him?
T&A: He started to play tennis when he was 4 years old and he was introduced by his two older brothers who are also tennis coaches and played tennis as well.

TCB: When did Timote start teaching tennis and why?
T&A: He has been playing all his life, competing at a very good French National level. He started to teach tennis 10 years ago following the example of his older brother (Jules).

TCB: Where was Anais born?
T&A: Anais was born in Lleida, Spain.

TCB: How old was Anais when she started with tennis and who introduced her?
T&A: She started to play tennis at the age of 4 as well and was introduced by a neighbour and current friend (Janira). She just followed her.

TCB: When did Anais start teaching tennis and why?
T&A: She went to America to college and graduated in International business. Afterward became a pro. Had some WTA points and broke the wrist pretty badly. She stopped and decided to become a tennis coach to help young players reach their goals.

TCB: How did you guys meet?
T&A: We met at the Justine Henin Academy, Belgium. We worked together for over 2 years.

TCB: Why did you decide to work together?
T&A: We already met working together. After 2 years we decided to travel around the world for 1 year. We went around and visited over 24 countries doing social work. We work very good when we are together. We complete each other and we like to prepare different sessions and plans for the players.

TCB: When did you go to China and how did this come about?
T&A: Anais was working in China before in 2016 and met with her boss when Timote and Anais were doing the world trip. Once we were in Hong Kong he said he had an opening in Hainan and that he thought it was perfect for us. We finished our trip and we decided to move to China to start a new experience with a new culture and new people. (very different from the tennis in Europe or USA).

TCB: Do you like teaching in China? How long are you planning to stay?
T&A: For now, we have been in Hainan (an island right in front of Vietnam) for 1 year and a half. I am currently about to deliver. So, the baby boy will be born in Hainan. We do not know how long we are planning to stay since we are very open minded and flexible. We are working in a well developing school. Our main goal is to develop the tennis and create a strong potential here in Hainan.

TCB: What's your goal, your next destination?
T&A: For now, and the baby coming, we would love to continue to develop tennis in places where there is more struggle or difficulties (knowledge wise). So, our coaching experience can help the kids and country to have a wider vision about the tennis sport

TCB: Have you played pickleball? Are you teaching it, too?
We have never tried pickleball (we have tried to play paddle because it is very big in Spain but not pickleball)

TCB: What's your both tennis racquets of choice?
T&A: The school offers a Tecnifiber contract, so rackets are not our choice.

TCB: Thank you, guys.