NATA Staff

Ripley Amell
High Performance Consultant, Owner and NATA Executive Director

Ripley is one of the more recognizable tennis coaches around the country. He has served the sport and its elite players for the past 20 years. His passion for developing elite skill sets with his players is what has set him apart complemented with a variety of tennis training certificates he is a consummate coach role model.

A native of Ontario, Canada, Ripleydirected one of the top junior tennis academies in Canada before moving to Florida in the late nineties.Ripley's name has drawn some of the top tennis players because of his experience, vision and coaching philosophy. He has welcomed elite athletes periodically from around the world to train with him at his center in Orlando.

Marcelo Gouts
Co-Owner NATA & President of MG Tennis

Marcelo, is also President and founder of MG Tennis. As a very "hands on" President he has a reputation for being only a phone call away for everyone who needs him. Marcelo maintains close contact with his management team and staff to direct them in the MG Tennis philosophy of providing a "Compete Tennis Program".

Paulo Oppermann
NATA Sports Science Consultant

Paulo Oppermann is our NATA Sport Sciences consultant with a master’s degree in Sport Psychology and Human Development. He works with bio/neurofeedback, kinesiology and sport psychology, assisting athletes and teams to improve performance, enhance life quality, and reduce injuries. As a Boston University doctorate candidate in the Sport Psychology program, Paulo conducts research on how to improve tennis athletes’ performance. He also works as an affiliate in some MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) AgeLab projects.

Previously, he has worked for Brazilian professional soccer teams, individual sports athletes, including archery, triathlon, and track & field, and for the Brazilian national table tennis team. In 2007 he participated in the Pan American Games’ gold medal campaign, and in their 2008 Summer Olympic Games campaign. He has experience working with children, adolescents and professional tennis athletes for the GTC Tennis Academy and for the B’Sports Tennis Academy for 3 years, both in Brazil. Paulo will be working with player's belief systems channeling NATA’s motto linking "focus and execution."

Howard Jones
NATA Staff Member

Howard comes to NATA via England with a long and distinguished coaching acumen. Howard is highly respected by our players and fellow coaching staff.

• Worked in high performance tennis for over 25 years
• Former National Coach for LTA (Lawn Tennis Association)
• Personally developed players who have won numerous junior ITF, Tennis Europe, ATP/WTA Tours
• Developed players who have obtained college scholarships
• Travelled extensively to tournaments throughout Europe and the US

Natasa Zoricic
NATA Staff Member

Tennis Background:

• Three times runner up at National Championship in Croatia
• #1 in Croatia 16 & Under
• Ranked among the European Tennis Association's Top 20
• Finished as runner-up in the ETA's tournament, "Galea Open" in Slovenia
• A member of the Croatian Junior North American Tennis Team
• A member of the Head Elite Team ( top ranked players in Europe in Junior Tennis)
• Participated at different ITF (International Tennis Federation) tournaments
• Participated in different ITF Futures ($10,000 tournaments..)
• NAIA All American 2008, 2009, 2010
• First Team Sun Conference 2008, 2009, 2010
• Sun Conference Player of the Year 2008, 2009
• NAIA Senior Of the Year, National Award, 2010
• Sun Conference Senior of the Year, 2010
• Played #1 for Embry Riddle all three years