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Stephen Curtis is in his sixth season as Mason's head coach of women's tennis. He brought a lot of experience to the Mason program, having spent his career playing and teaching at many different levels. He quickly established himself his first year as a collegiate coach ending the season with an 12-13 record and proved it was no fluke finishing with an even better record, 14-12, in year two. The 14 wins three seasons ago broke the record for most wins in a season, after breaking the record with 12 after his first year. Curtis took over the program which was 6-13 overall, 3-3 in the CAA the previous season before he arrived. Three seasons ago, the team finished 6-15, but played a majority of the matches on the road. In his fourth year, Curtis led a very young team to an 11-12 overall record. He coached a top six headlined by three freshman, two of which finished with personal records at or above .500 overall. Curtis coached Mason to a 7-3 record in their final 10 matches of the spring 2008 season. Last season the Patriots finished 9-12. In his first two seasons, top player Andreea Fusea won two individual tournaments titles in the fall (2004), the DC Metro Championship and the Martha Thorn Invitational Flight A singles title at West Virginia. The doubles team of Maricel Ballester and Fusea won the DC Metro Championships doubles title (2005). Curtis' teams have excelled in the classroom as well. The program under Curtis have distinguished itself nationally by posting the highest scores possibly for the Academic Progress Rates as determined by the NCAA. The program has been awarded five consecutive recognition for finishing within the top 10 percent of the national average for the Academic Progress Rates. "I am proud of this accomplishment as I am on our court victories. At Mason our players are student-athletes with the emphasis on student." Curtis is the head tennis professional at nearby Springfield Golf and Country Club, where he has been since 1996. As the top tennis professional, he directs the junior tennis program, has coached sectional ranked junior players and instructs adults of all levels. In the four-year span from 1994-98, Curtis was the varsity tennis coach at St. Stephen St. Agnes School, coaching in the top conference in the Washington, DC area. He was director of tennis at Washington Hilton Sport and Health for one year directing all aspects of the tennis program for both guests of the hotel and members of the Sport & Health Club, including running tournaments, clinics, drills and private lessons. Curtis organized and directed the Munich and Augsburg United States Military Community adult and junior tennis programs. He coached Munich American High School and German junior tennis teams to eight conference titles. He was an instructor to nationally ranked German junior players, including having trained two world class female players. He earned a B.A. in Psychology and Business in 1986 from The University of Maryland, European Division. As a player, he participated in international tournaments, including Pro Satellite events in Austria and Germany. He won the United States All Forces European Championship 1993. He participated in German Team Tennis League with ATP ranked players. He is certified by the United States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR) and United States Racquet Stringers Association (USRSA). He is a member of the German (DTV) and Bavarian (BTV) Tennis Associations and the National Prince Pro Team. He resides in Springfield, Va. with his wife Catherine. They have three children. |
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