Alberto Martin Takes Over Men’s Tennis Program

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Aug. 24, 2007) – Occidental College announced the hiring of Alberto Martin who will lead the Tigers Men’s Tennis team this season. Working along side Martin will be Chris Thompson.

Martin had a stellar playing career before switching over to the coaching. In his native Venezuela he was the top ranked junior and earned an ATP World Ranking. He was a member of the Davis Cup Team. Martin first traveled to the United States playing tennis and found himself as the # 1 singles player for Memphis University.

In his post-playing days Martin has coached at clubs across the nation. He began at the East Bank Club (Chicago, Ill.) where he was a teaching Pro before moving out west to take the Assistant Pro position at El Caballero Country Club (Tarzana, Calif.). Martin then ventured into developing his own program as the owner and head coach of the Tennis PROgram Tennis and Athletics Academy. Currently he is serving as the Head Pro at Lakeside Country Club in Toluca Lake, Calif.

Thompson, Martin’s right hand man, hails from the Midwest. He was an avid player at Elizabethtown and Sterling High Schools in Elizabethtown, KY and Sterling, Ill. respectively. Thompson also played two years of Community College tennis in Illinois. Now, Thompson, splits his time as a Teaching Pro for USTA Junior Team Hitting Sessions at Toluca Lake Country Club and as a Clinic and Camp Instructor at Lakeside Golf Course.

The duo is excited to get started here at Occidental. "Alberto and Chris are a solid addition to the Oxy staff” Interim Director of Athletics Jaime Hoffman said. “The combination of playing and coaching experience is going to help turn the Tigers program around in the years to come."