Meet our Coaches & Staff!
Elizabeta Abramovic | Tennis Center Director
Elizabeta Abramovic is a certified USPTA professional who founded Wolf Tennis Academy. Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Elizabeta comes from a family of seven children. Her father is an established coach who operates a tennis academy in Croatia and her two older sisters were professional tennis players.
After finishing high school, Elizabeta decided to pursue education in the USA. She accepted an offer for a tennis scholarship at the University of Central Oklahoma. During her career at UCO she Earned All-Lone Star Conference honors and was named the league Co-Sportsmanship Player of the Year. She was a four-year standout for the Bronchos while leading UCO to three national tournament appearances. She was also selected NCAA Division II South Central Region Senior Player of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.
After completing a bachelors she got her masters in Business Administration and at the same time worked as an assistant coach for Women tennis team at UCO. Throughout her coaching career, Elizabeta has taught tennis privately and for various programs and clubs. Elizabeta is a competitive spirit, passionate about growing the game of tennis and focused on building the best quality tennis program in town right here at Hidden Trails.
Contact Info
wolftennis7@gmail.com
405-837-4269
Darla Morgan | Events Coordinator
Darla grew up in Oklahoma City where she now resides. She is a member of Southern Hills Baptist Church. She is a recording artist and songwriter. Darla spends most of her time performing at the Rodeo Opry where she is a favorite Emcee. She has been a much sought after entertainer across the state, performed in churches all across the southwest as well as singing in Branson Missouri at the Branson Opry House. Her effervescent personality and country style in which she sings has delighted her audiences. She has had a variety of careers in her lifetime starting with being a licensed hairstylist, full-time gospel recording artist to being administrative assistant in the oil and gas industry before retiring.
“I am so excited to be a part of the Hidden Trails Team. I love meeting people as well as organizing and decorating for events. My goal is to continue to improve the overall look of our Tennis Center, help set up successful events and be the welcoming face that you meet as you enter!” – Darla
Shali Stewart | Hidden Trails Representative & Tennis Coach
Shali has been a tennis player for 19 years. She started when she was 9 years old and played through college. Shali went to Cowley County Community College from 2013-2015 for her first 2 years of college where she played #3 singles and #1 doubles. They finished 6th in the NJCAA Women’s Tennis National Championship in 2015. Then she earned a full scholarship to the University of Central Oklahoma for her last 2 years where she also played #3 singles and #2 doubles from 2015-2017. Shali finished her career there being part of the first team to make it into the top 50 rankings in the ITA in school history, ranking 43rd, and 4th in the NCAA Regional rankings.
After taking a 5 year hiatus from tennis, Shali became a member of the Hidden Trails Country Club and learned the staff was all very kind and encouraging. So when she needed a job, naturally she wanted to work at Hidden Trails! After working here a while as a representative, she started taking on coaching opportunities, and decided to become a permanent part of our coaching staff.
Shali stated, “I’ve always loved tennis, but I’ve recently found that teaching it to others is very rewarding. I love seeing kids and adults alike improve their skills before my eyes, and I feel honored to be part of their tennis journey. I’m very proud to be a part of the staff here. The members and staff here are top-tier people, and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of it all!”
All of our coaches give private, semi-private and group lessons. For pricing or to schedule a time for lessons please contact the front desk at (405) 680-4724.
Chad Waller | Director of Junior Development
We are thrilled to welcome Chad Waller to our team at Hidden Trails. We are doing some exciting work here, and are confident that Chad’s vast experience and enthusiasm for the game will be invaluable to our tennis community. Take a look at Chad’s bio below.
Chad Waller is a self taught tennis player who was awarded a full tennis scholarship at ECU. During his college career he played at #2 singles and #1 doubles. His team received the first ever top 15 national ranking. Additionally, he was ranked 4th in the nation in doubles with partner Olof Grahn and finished runner up in the national Rolex tournament. After collegiate tennis, he decided to travel for a short time participating in professional and money tournaments. Occasionally, he participated in USPTA tournaments circuit and was ranked in the top 10.
His coaching career started 15 years ago. Chad has worked with people of all ages from 4-85. Some of his accomplishments include:
- Regional Tennis coach of the year 7 times
- 2016 OCA High School coach of the year for the state of Oklahoma.
Chad has also been a director of Tennis at Mcalester Country Club for over 10 years now and has ran camps for the city of Ada, Chickasaw Nation, and Mcalester Parks and Recreation. He has been Mcalester High school head coach for several years and coached numerous All-Staters. He was proud to be able to send over 20 kids to play collegiate tennis with a 100% graduation rate and 1 even to play professional.
“I love teaching and coaching tennis because I get to help others gain knowledge, improve and see them thoroughly enjoy the life long sport I’m so passionate about.” – Chad Waller
Rodney O’Dell | Tennis Professional
Rodney O’Dell is a respected leader and coach within the Oklahoma tennis community. He is a certified USPTA Teaching Professional. In 2009, he helped re-establish the South Oklahoma City Community Tennis Association (SOCCTA) and served as Vice President and President from 2009 – 2011. He formed the All Star Tennis Club in Mustang, where he directed all club operations and provided group and private lessons for ages 6 – 18 from 2012 – 2015. His USTA career includes the following men’s 4.0 league accomplishments:
- 3x Oklahoma Doubles State Finalist
- 3x Oklahoma Doubles State Champion
- 2x Missouri Valley Doubles Section Finalist
- 3x Missouri Valley Doubles Sectional Champion
- 3x National Doubles Qualifier
As a result of his accomplishments, he now plays at the 4.5 level. He works full time as a Computer Scientist at the Federal Aviation Administration but also enjoys taking time to share his passion for tennis with others. Rodney is married and has two daughters and a son. His family loves to play tennis, both socially and competitively. In addition to tennis, he and his family enjoy many other sports and activities including hiking, basketball, soccer, archery and restoring antique tennis rackets.
“I love tennis and enjoy sharing my passion, knowledge, and experience that I’ve gained over the years with others. I like to explain the physics behind tennis and how the body can be used as a whole to generate power from the ground up. My desire is to teach others the fundamentals of tennis, the importance of fitness, mental toughness, good sportsmanship and a love for the game that will last a lifetime!”
– Coach Rod
Coach Linda Faye Pratt
Coach Ignacio Cortez
Coach Ignacio (also known as Coach Iggy) found a passion for coaching junior players while training at Hidden Trails and assisting with summer tennis camps. As a high school tennis player, he reached the top 16 in Oklahoma 6A boys’ tennis, and actively competes in singles and doubles UTR tournaments. He has experience coaching red ball, orange ball, green ball, and beginning high school players.
Kids love his enthusiastic and fun coaching style. He enjoys building long-lasting relationships with the students he coaches, and includes fun, interactive drills that get them excited about learning tennis.
Coach Iggy’s other interests include: track and field, running, soccer, playing the guitar, and tutoring his peers in subjects such as math, science, and Spanish. He is a dedicated, hard-working junior coach with a true passion for playing and teaching tennis.
Coach Trinity O’Dell
Trinity was born and raised in Oklahoma. She enjoys playing the piano and guitar, spending time outdoors and has played competitive soccer, basketball and tennis. She started playing tennis at age 4 and is currently one of our top High Performance players here at Hidden Trails. She plays competitively in local UTR tournaments in both singles and doubles. She has a passion for tennis and loves teaching junior players! She uses games, physical exercises and challenging drills to assure her students have a strong foundation regarding coordination, footwork and racket skills. For students interested in competitive play, she uses her many years of competitive playing experience to teach advanced techniques and winning patterns of play.
“I love teaching kids! It’s so much fun to help a child learn how to play tennis” – Trinity
I have grown up watching my dad coach many players, and have found a love for coaching myself. I love teaching kids to love and play tennis just as I do.
To book lessons with Coach Trinity, please contact the Front Desk at (405) 680-4724.
Coach Khup Thang
Coach Khup was born and grew-up in Myanmar (Burma). He and his family came to America in 2012 as refugees. He is currently serving in the US Air Force after finishing his bachelor’s degree with Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin.
He was introduced to tennis by his high school soccer teammate. He played for the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (D2 school) for one year then he transferred to UW Madison (The Badgers) where he played two years for the traveling tennis club team. He coached at UW Madison for a year working with college students and adults. If you would like to schedule lessons with Coach Khup contact him at (920) 573-5566.
“I love tennis because it is a great sport that build and develop both the physical and mental aspect of a person.”
– Coach Kup
Coach Gracie Epps
Meet Gracie Epps
My name is Gracie Epps! I love tennis. I’ve been playing since I was 3, and I’ve been playing competitively since I was 8. With my time playing so far, I have gotten up to number 80 in the world on ITF juniors and I have been accepted into the Junior Grand Slams. I am going to be joining the Georgia Bulldogs in the fall of 2023 to play on their top 15 tennis team.
I’m excited to coach at Hidden Trails this coming year and help my students develop the love for the game!
To book your lesson with Gracie, please call (405) 680 4724.
Testimonials
“My overall experience is great! I play in the leagues they offer as well as drills with Chad. Drills are well ran. The staff led by Elizabeta is top notch. Good place to join if your looking for a tennis facility.”
“Love ’em. Eli gave me my first lesson there. Chad offers drills with hints and tips. Rodney Odell can give you some in depth tennis knowledge and strategies.”
“Hidden Trails is an excellent facility to play tennis and pickleball. I appreciate having access to climate-controlled indoor courts at a great price!”
“It has been a very positive experience overall. The ample opportunities to play in tournaments, leagues and drills has been the highlight for me.”
“Great staff that are always helping the youths. I enjoy the positive, inclusive environment for all ages.”
“Experience is fantastic. I love the Sunday drills with Chad and the league play.”
