ABOUT THE OWNERS AND STAFF
Richie and Monty are two brothers who have been running the Monterey Tennis Center since the start of the pandemic in 2020. Their love for racquet sports is evident in their business name, Monterey Waves LLC, which they named after their dog AJ, who was named after the famous American tennis players, Andre Agassi and James Blake. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Richie and Monty have remained dedicated to their business and have expanded their offerings to include the popular sport of pickleball. Their passion for both tennis and pickleball has inspired others in their community to take up these sports, which offer numerous physical and mental benefits. It's great to see people like Richie and Monty promoting the practice of these sports and making them more accessible to others
MONTY ROTH
Monty has been a part of the Monterey Tennis Center since he was six years old and is now running the same camps that he used to attend as a child. Although Monty faced some setbacks due to injuries, his resilience led him to become the Northern State College Champion by the end of his playing career. After college, he began coaching full-time at the Monterey Tennis Center under Alan Telfer, a Carmel local and former owner of the center.
In addition to coaching at the Monterey Tennis Center, Monty has also served as the head boys' tennis coach for Pacific Grove High School and Monterey High School, and even coached for both teams in the same season due to the lack of coaches in the area. He has received a Certificate of Recognition from the local Kiwanis Club of Monterey and holds the title of Professional Tennis Coach from the United States Professional Tennis Association.
Outside of his work and coaching, Monty enjoys playing tennis in the USTA league and the card game Metazoo. He and his wife, Negin, recently welcomed their beautiful daughter, born on November 17, 2022.
RICHIE SNELLING IV
Richie, the elder brother, has been a part of the Monterey Tennis Center since he was 10 years old and has worked for two previous owners, including Vince La Roca and Alan Telfer, where he has done everything from stringing racquets and teaching lessons to cleaning courts. Richie and Monty now work together in the operations of the center. Like Monty, Richie also faced some setbacks due to injuries, but he competed at the collegiate level at Grand Canyon University.
While attending college, Richie worked at Tennis Cabana in Arizona, where he learned most of his stringing and racquet knowledge, and at Matrix Tennis Academy at the Biltmore Estate in Scottsdale, where he worked under Jeff Williams, a former pro tennis player who had a career singles ranking of 337 and career ATP doubles ranking of 180 and won 2 ITF singles titles. After college, Richie went on an adventure to Quebec, Canada, where he learned the language and culture before returning to Monterey in 2017.
In addition to his work at the Monterey Tennis Center, Richie has also volunteered with the Kiwanis Club of Monterey, where he has helped clean community parks, work golf events, and serve at the community Thanksgiving feeding. In his personal life, Richie enjoys playing tennis in the USTA league, as well as other sports such as pickleball, surfing, cycling, running, swimming, kiteboarding, and learning new things