Meet the Pros
Reinaldo Valor; Director of Racquets
Reinaldo has over 25 years of tennis experience in many aspects of the tennis industry. He reached a career junior ranking of number 1 in Florida & top 20 in the nation. Reinaldo competed at North Carolina State & had many notable wins over ATP professionals. He was the founder of RMI Tennis where he privately coached future-level professionals in Tampa and served as the Director of Junior Tennis at IFPA Tennis Academy. Reinaldo was the Head Men’s Coach at the University of Connecticut in the American Athletic Conference. Over Reinaldo’s 8 seasons as a collegiate coach, he captured two Individual National Championships & was the 2016 Wilson ITA National Coach of the Year. Reinaldo comes from the Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas where he ran the largest women’s tennis program in the country with over 300 members participating each season. During his tenure at Royal Oaks, he managed over 28 tennis & pickleball leagues. Reinaldo is excited to carry on all the wonderful traditions that exist at the Tampa Yacht Club.
Ariel Gaitan; Head Teaching Pro
Ariel Gaitan is a tennis professional who carries a solid background of experience. As a young player, he trained at the IMG Tennis Academy to achieve success in junior competition. In 1995, he began a 4-year career at the University of Kentucky, competing in both singles and doubles to earn recognition in numerous NCAA events. He graduated with a BS degree in international economics and foreign language. Following graduation from UK, Ariel officially began his teaching and coaching career with elite ATP and WTA players such as Xavier Malisse, Kei Nishikori, Sabine Lasicki, and Maria Sharapova. In 2015, Ariel joined the coaching staff at the University of South Florida where he spent 7 years developing college excellence. He led the Lady Bulls to 3 Athletic Conference finals. As a highlight, in 2017, he coached USF to a Conference Championship and earned a bid in the prestigious NCAA tournament. Ariel Gaitan’s knowledge of the many aspects of tennis is a result of more than two decades of experience. He has been a player, coach, clinic director, event organizer, fundraiser, public speaker, inventory coordinator, business manager, and speaks 4 languages fluently. As an established South Tampa resident with his wife WTA Pro Kristina Brandi and two children, Ariel has made many connections with the community and is a longtime fan of Tampa Bay! His outlook now zeros in on the desire to bring out the best in others and to make the game a means of promoting teamwork, friendships, and, in the case of TYCC, a club community that benefits each and every member and guest.
Augusto Solano; Teaching Pro
Teaching Pro ranked as high as #11 in the world as a junior in 1985. Played Wimbledon Juniors and U.S. Open. Played Davis Cup for Columbia. All Southwest Conference Champion, '88 & '89 at University of Arkansas. Coached the "Elite Program" at Bolletieri's Acadamy. Coached Agassi, Selles, Haas, Mirnyi, and Anna Kournikova. Jennifer Capriati's traveling coach. Assistant Tennis Director/Head Pro at Bardmoor.