Meet our coaches!
Meet the coaches that work hard every day to bring amazing tennis programs to Hidden Trails Country Club!
Elizabeta Babb | Tennis Director
Elizabeta Abramovic Babb is a certified USPTA professional who recently founded and operates Wolf Tennis Academy that has over 50 students.
Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Elizabeta comes from a family of seven children where tennis runs in the blood. Her father is an established coach who operates a tennis academy in Croatia and her two older sisters were professional tennis players. Her oldest sister Ivana Abramović was a top ten junior tennis player in the world at the age of 16. Her career high on the WTA singles rankings was number 143. She reached her career high doubles ranking of No. 141 in 2007. Elizabeta’s sister Marija was also an accomplished professional player with career high on the WTA singles ranking of 266 and 140 in doubles. She is now licensed in PTR and USPTA professional tennis courses.
Following the footsteps of her older sisters, Elizabeta started playing tennis at the age of 7. After finishing high school she 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 in singles and doubles and was named the league Co-Sportsmanship Player of the Year. She was a four-year standout for the Bronchos and won 100 matches during her career 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 bachelor’s, she decided to pursue her master’s in Business Administration and at the same time accepted the offer to work as an assistant coach for the Women’s tennis team at UCO. Her coaching experience was greatly enhanced while working for several different tennis clubs, including Kicking bird and Greens Country Club. She also coached middle school and high school students at Cassidy School for the last 2 years.
Elizabeta is a competitive spirit that excels at making tennis lessons accessible and fun for various playing levels and abilities. Her passion for the game aids in making the lessons challenging and engaging.
Jenny Marcos | Head Tennis Coach
Jenny Marcos is one of the most decorated tennis players in Central Oklahoma history. She was a standout singles and doubles player from the late 1980’s who earned all-American honors four times. Marcos was inducted into the Central Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2007.
In her professional career Jenny served as the tennis director at Hidden Trails Country Club (at the time Willow Creek Country Club).
Additionally, she has coached both women and men college tennis teams at Southwestern Christian University and is currently the head professional at Santa Fe Family Life Center.Jenny is also an excellent pickleball player. She was a National Champion for Singles 50 & over and 50 & over Mixed doubles.
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 and currently serves as the USTA Oklahoma Southwest Quadrant Representative. 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
Linda Faye | Tennis coach
Linda Faye Pratt fell in love with tennis watching the likes of Bjorn Borg and Chris Evert, but had never played tennis until she accepted her first teaching job and her principal said, “with this job you will be the girl’s tennis coach.” Excited, she decided to spend her summer in Germany at a tennis club where her friend, who happened to be the head tennis pro, began teaching her the mechanics of tennis on the red clay of Europe.
Linda Faye graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Secondary Education and Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Oklahoma City University. She coached the Girls Tennis team at her alma mater, Midwest City High School and was honored as the Oklahoma East All State Girls Tennis Team Coach. She concluded her 28 year teaching career in P.E/Health for the Dept. of Defense Dependent Schools, U.S. Naval Base, Yokosuka, Japan. Since returning from Japan, she has participated in USTA Women’s and Mixed Doubles league play and is a member of OCTA and SOCTA.
Linda Faye has specialized in coaching the 10 and under age group at Hidden Trails since 2016. Her main goal is to make tennis simple, exciting, and fun so that students will have early success, leave with a smile on their face and ultimately choose tennis as their sport for a lifetime.
The post Meet our coaches! appeared first on Hidden Trails Country Club.
