Our teaching staff and tennis director are ready to work with you to make your experience on the court positive and dynamic. Years of experience in numerous tennis settings has equipped our staff with the knowledge to provide you with superior service for all your playing needs.
Elliott McDermed
- KCUT Owner/Director
- 19 years coaching experience
- Prince Plugged In Coordinator/Coach
- Coached more than 25 players that have attained Div I NCAA tennis scholarships
- Players have reached top 10 national singles rankings
- Coached more than 90 Missouri Valley singles and doubles champions
- Former Asst. Men’s Tennis Coach at University of Kansas
- Former Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach at Baker University (Top 25 Nationally)
- USTA Regional Training Center Coach
- 2011 Outstanding contributor to Youth High Performance in Missouri Valley and HOA District
- Tournament Director of $50,000 Kansas City Women’s Tennis Classic
- CTC Coach for HOA District
Eric Rand
- KCUT Owner/Director
- 16 years coaching experience
- Developed 38 Missouri Valley champions, 8 National champions, and ITF title holder.
- Coached 14 players who have attained Div I NCAA tennis scholarships
- Coached numerous players who play at Div II and Div III NCAA schools
- Coached several collegiate All-Americans and NJCAA national champions
- USTA Regional Training Center coach
- Former Tennis Director of Echo Valley Country Club
- Former Head Pro of Leawood Country Club
- Former Head Tennis Coach of OPRC Futures program
- Former Asst Coach of Johnson County Com College
- Played for Rockhurst College
Ann Neilson
The Plaza Tennis Center General Manager
- Business Manager for Kansas City United Tennis
- Born in Scotland, grew up in South Africa
- One son playing Division 1 tennis at University of Indiana
- One son at Case Western Reserve Medical School
Scott Hanover
- The Plaza Tennis Center Director of Tennis
- Native of Iowa
- Has lived in Kansas City’s northland for over 20 years
- Responsible for all public tennis lessons, programs and events
- Manager of Clayview Country Club (March 2009–March 2011)
- Manager of The Plaza Tennis Center (December 1997–March 2009)
- Volunteer president of the five-state USTA Missouri Valley Section
- Serves on the USTA’s National Tennis in the Parks committee and is the Chair of the Grants/Awards/Scholarships project team
- Chair of the National Parks Committee (2009–2010)
- Two-time Chair of the USTA National Community Tennis committee (2005–2008)
- Volunteers as USTA Flex Coordinator for Kansas City (2009–2011)
- Chair of the USTA Heart of America Hall of Fame (1999–2011)
- Treasurer of the National Public Parks Tennis Association (2006–2011)
- Accomplished 4.0 singles, doubles and mixed player, and was player/captain of the 2007 World Team Tennis Rec League national championship 4.0 squad, Kansas City’s first WTT National Champion
- Coordinates the city-wide World Team Tennis Rec Leagues
- Named the 2004 National WTT Coordinator Of the Year
Mike Murphy
- Head Pro
- 15 years teaching experience
- Member of USPTA
- Began tennis career on the island of Bahrain
- Earned Prince High School All American
- Multiple Conference Singles/Doubles Championships at Rockhurst University
- Men’s Small College Rolex Champion
- Former college coach at Rockhurst University
- Former Men’s and Women’s coach at Lindenwood University
- Former Pro at Midtown
- Former Pro at Hallbrook
Cassidy Mears
- Played for Brigham Young University
- Third winningest player in BYU program history
- Was Conference player of the week four times Senior year (school record)
- All-conference and Academic All-conference
- Undefeated against conference opponents Junior and Senior seasons
- Team Captain So, Junior and Senior seasons
- Senior year, team was conference champions and finished #22 in the country
- Was the Athletic SAAC President
- Won the Floyd Johnson Service Award
- Attending Rockhurst University, receiving my MBA and coaching Rockhurst tennis teams.
Tim Akhmedov
- Born in 1989 in Moscow, Russia
- Started playing tennis at age 5
- Moved to Kansas City in 2001 to further his tennis development
- Won the 6A State Team Title his junior year at Shawnee Mission East
- Missouri Valley Singles and Doubles Champion in multiple age divisions
- Currently enrolled at UMKC, pursuing a Psychology major, and Film Studies minor
- Joining the UMKC Roos in Fall 2011
- Coached at Blue Hills Country Club and Clayview Country Club
- Three years coaching all levels of tennis, including Quickstart
- Knowledgeable in the areas of Missouri Valley and National ranking system and Tournament organization
- Avid fan and participant in soccer, parkour, and weight lifting
