Lobo Tennis Club
Home of the UNM Lobos
Phone: (505) 925-5991
Teaching Pros
The LTC is home to some of the best teaching pros in Albuquerque! Many of these pros have played and/or coached Division I college tennis here at the University of New Mexico or elsewhere. Many are trained as USPTA professionals, while others have picked up their skills learning from other great pros.
Johnny Kowalski
Alex Mansfield
Johnny Kowalski is the Director of the LTC. Johnny hails from Carlsbad, NM and was a key member of the UNM Men's Tennis Team for four years garnering two Conference Championships. He has been teaching tennis since finishing college in 2002. Johnny works with some of the top juniors in the Southwest as the Director of LPTA.
Vicky Maes
Vicky Maes has been at UNM since the summer of 2018. She was appointed as the head coach of the Women’s Tennis program in March 2019. Prior to coming to UNM, Maes spent 17 years as the head coach at The University of Arizona. In all, coach Maes has over 20 years of Division 1 coaching experience yet is also extremely passionate about teaching individuals and groups of all levels and ages. Maes is a USPTA certified professional, level 1, and is eager to share her knowledge and experience with you.
Robert Bareford
Bob Scott
Rob joined the Lobo Family in July of 2024 as the head coach for the men’s tennis program. He previously won a pair of conference titles with Radford and later coached for two seasons with Montana State. For three of his four seasons at Radford, he was officially the Director of Tennis, where he also served as the head coach of the women’s team. Rob is certified by the USPTA and PTR. He has been a country club professional, director and junior tennis director. In addition to coaching D3 and D1 college tennis, he has also coached high school tennis. Rob has experience teaching all ages and abilities for juniors and adults. He loves working with juniors and helping them reach their goals of playing tennis at the next level.
Bob Scott has worked all around the country as a tennis coach and teaching pro, both at country clubs and as a collegiate coach. Having retired from Director of the LTC, you might see Bob around the club teaching group and private lessons. Bob's lessons give players a chance to take advantage of his lifetime of tennis knowledge.
Allison Romero
Alex Mansfield is the Senior Assistant Pro of the LTC. Alex grew up in New Mexico and has been a teaching pro in Albuquerque since 2008. He attended the University of Northern Colorado, where he played tennis his sophomore year, and then transferred to UNM where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Print Journalism. While at UNM he played for the UNM Club Tennis Program, which he credits with reinvigorating his love for tennis. He also attended the UNM Anderson School of Management and received a Master of Business Administration in Marketing. In addition to tennis, he’s also a soccer fanatic and works as a Special Projects Coordinator for the NM United pro soccer team. As a tennis teaching pro, his top priority is getting people to either fall in love with the game for the first time or remember why they once did. Alex is available for individual and group sessions for all ages and abilities.
Yue Lin "Polly" Chen
Polly was born in Yunlin, Taiwan and grew up in Taiwan until coming to UNM as a freshman in 2017. She competed for the UNM Women’s Tennis Team from 2017 to 2022. In 2021 and 2022 Polly was named to the Mountain West Women’s Tennis Singles All-Conference Team. In 2021 she received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration. Polly is currently working on her Masters of Business Administration with a major in Marketing and plans to graduate in the Spring of 2023. Polly has taught in the UNM summer tennis camps for juniors and has worked with all ages of adults. Polly is available for clinics or private lessons with all levels of juniors and adults and looks forward to designing a program to meet the needs of the student.
Nicolas Acevedo
Nico is from Arica, Chile. He joined UNM in September 2024 as the assistant coach for the UNM Men’s Tennis Team. He played college tennis first at Wichita State University and transferred and graduated from Florida Atlantic University. A skilled doubles player in college, Acevedo won an ITF 25K doubles title in 2021, and he won the ITA Southeast Regional doubles title in 2022, earning a spot in the ITA National Doubles Tournament, advancing to the Round of 16. Nico’s coaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of a strong work ethic, mental toughness, and a positive attitude, believing that these traits are crucial for success in tennis and life. He focuses on a personalized approach, tailoring his training to the unique strengths and weaknesses of each player. Nico creates a supportive and motivating environment where players feel encouraged to push their limits while enjoying the process. Nico is available for individual and group sessions for all ages and abilities.
Michael Tran
Michael was born in Amarillo, TX and grew up in Albuquerque, NM. As a junior, he was ranked as high as #26 in the US and finished his career #1 in the Southwest region. From there, he went on compete for the UNM Men’s Tennis Team from 2014-2019. He graduated with undergraduate degrees in Biology, and Psychology. In 2021, Michael received his Masters in Business Administration which he uses to run his newly opened restaurant, Tasty Pot, located off Wyoming and Academy. Michael has taught in the UNM Summer tennis camps for juniors, and has also taught as tennis pro at Albuquerque Country Club since 2021. Michael is available for clinics or private lessons with all ages and levels. He looks forwards to building a positive relationship with his clients to motivate them to meet their personal goals!