Day 2: Guest Speakers and Industry Experts
Mike Barrell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - SPORTIME CLUBS NEW YORK
Mike is currently the Executive Director of Tennis for SPORTIME NY, where he is responsible for the program delivery at 13 tennis clubs staffed by over 220 coaches. He hails from the United Kingdom and has been a coach for more than 30 years. As a coach and tennis consultant worldwide, he has worked and delivered training in over 80 countries, supporting the development of tennis on five continents. Mike has been a keynote speaker at three ITF Worldwide Conferences and has presented at multiple USPTA World Conferences, PTR International Symposia, and National Conferences, and is a regular contributor to the ATP/WTA Pro Course. Mike was the author of the ITF Tennis10s manual, the Official U10 Program of many nations across the globe. His previous roles include Director of Tennis at MatchPoint in Southampton, England, and Director of Junior Tennis at the West Hants Club in Bournemouth, England. A Level Five LTA Coach, PTR Professional and International Master Pro, and USPTA P1, Mike was also an LTA Master Tutor, ITF Expert, and PTR World Professional of the Year in 2007. In 2022 he was recognized as a PTR International Master Professional.
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Gary Bleil
DIRECTOR OF RECREATION: OMNI AMELIA ISLAND RESORT
With over 20 years of leadership experience in the hospitality industry, Bleil specializes in driving team success, fostering innovation, and mentoring the next generation of leaders. As the Director of Recreation at Omni Amelia Island Resort, Bliel has the privilege of overseeing diverse operations, including pool and beach management, fitness facilities, tennis programs, children's and group activities, and more. His extensive background in hospitality management and strategic leadership has equipped him with a unique ability to elevate guest experiences and create environments where both teams and guests thrive. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Resort Recreation Management with a Minor in Business Management from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, blending academic knowledge with hands-on expertise. Gary is deeply committed to community engagement and social services, always striving to build meaningful connections that not only drive growth but also enrich lives.
Whether it's through team coaching, innovative program development, or optimizing operational efficiency, Bleil's goal is to lead by example and create lasting, positive impacts that extend far beyond the resort.
Robyn Duda
CEO - RACQUET X
Robyn Duda is an award-winning event strategist, experience designer, and thought leader who has worked with some of the most recognized brands in the world including Coca-Cola, Spotify, Visa, and IBM. Her nearly 20 years of work has inspired, innovated, and harnessed growth for her clients by focusing on how we connect in the changing world.
She is the co-founder of RacquetX, the world’s first festival of thought, connection, and experiential learning for businesses and consumers of racquet sports. With a clear vision for reinventing the future of events, Robyn is requested to speak all over the world and has been seen in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Fox Business, Glamour, Folio, and BizBash. She also works with the next generation of creators as an Instructor at Emory University’s Center for Innovation and is an advisor for several organizations in the event and technology spaces.
Simon Gale
SENIOR DIRECTOR - USTA NATIONAL CAMPUS
Simon Gale, originally from Perth, Australia, is the Senior Director of Racquet Sports Development at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. In this role, he oversees a team of 35+ teaching professionals, including five head professionals, and manages 100 courts across the campus. The campus welcomes over 400,000 visitors annually, offering 125+ programs that engage more than 2,000 players weekly, and hosts 350+ events each year. Before joining the USTA, Simon served as the Managing Partner and Director of Racquets at Taconic Sport & Racquet Club in Hopewell Junction, NY. Prior to that, he spent 12 years at Yonkers Tennis Center in Yonkers, NY, where he held multiple leadership roles, including Director of Tennis and General Manager. In addition to his role at the USTA, Simon founded SG Tennis Consulting, where he works with clubs and facilities to optimize operations and enhance racquet sports programming profitability. Simon also co-hosts the Racquet Fuel Podcast, which provides insights into leadership development within the racquet sports industry.
Ajay Pant
CEO - KARUNDY CONSULTING
Ajay is the founder of Karundy – his tennis consulting company that guarantees increased profit and revenue per court. Ajay was the Senior Vice President for Life Time Racquets for seven years. He worked with 130 clubs and managed the largest tennis, pickleball and squash operations in the United States. Ajay is the prior Senior Vice President Operations for the Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland. Pant was with Midtown Clubs for almost two decades and also served as their National Tennis Director. Ajay also served as the Cities Coordinator for Arthur Ashe and Nick Bollettieri Cities programs in multiple cities. Ajay is one of 16 global teaching pros who have been given the highest teaching designation of “Master Pro” by both the Racquet Sports Professional Association (RSPA) and Professional Tennis Registry (PTR). He has been awarded “Pro of the Year” by both PTR and USPTA and “Tennis Person of the Year” by Tennis Industry Association.
Butch Staples
NATIONAL EDUCATION AND LEARNING ADVISOR - USTA COACHING
Butch is currently the National Education and Learning Advisor for USTA Coaching. His former positions included National Racquet Sports Director and Education Director for Midtown Athletic Clubs, Director of Special Projects for the Van Der Meer TennisUniversity, Director of Tennis at Gray Rocks Inn, and Tennis and Basketball Coach at McGill University in Montreal. His diverse career also included teaching Elementary and Secondary Physical Education as well as 8 years in Hospitality management as President General Manager of a ski, golf and tennis resort north of Montreal. Butch is a PTR Master Professional, a 35+ year RSPA Elite Professional, a popular speaker at national and international industry conferences and a 25 year veteran USTA Coach Developer. Butch was recently honored by RSI magazine as the recipient of the 2024 Tennis Industry Service Award. He also received the USOC Doc Counsilman Science award in 2009, was named PTR Pro of the year in 2010 and received the prestigious International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award in 2012.
Daven Wardynski
DIRECTOR OF FOOD & BEVERAGE - OMNI AMELIA ISLAND RESORT
Daven not only has spent the last six years as a Director of Food & Beverage but he also brings over twenty years of culinary experience, six years of which were spent in a Regional role. Starting in 2012, he partnered with the Omni Amelia Island Resort to reimagine the landscape of their food and beverage offerings which led to the creation of the Sprouting Project and the brand’s annual culinary weekend, Fish to Fork. In 2019 Daven began the transition to the front of the house, where he has had the opportunity to repeatedly share in associate career growth. In 2024, Omni Amelia Island Resort was recognized as a “Center of Excellence”, in part to the food and beverage contributions of positive LID retention, promoting five sous chefs to Executive Chef as well as four front of the house leaders to Directors of Food and Beverage. Prior to joining the Amelia Island Team, Daven spent time in Chicago at Omni Chicago Hotel, the Pump Room Restaurant at the Omni Ambassador East Hotel and the AAA five-diamond restaurant TRU under chef Rick Tramonto.