Coaches

MEET OUR TEAM

Gathered internationally to meet you across the net, let us introduce you to remarkable world-class tennis coaching in Boulder! We’re extremely proud of our dynamic, professional team, and we look forward to working with you!

DUKE PALUCH

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Founder

DONNA CHITAMBAR

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Founder

KENDALL CHITAMBAR

DIRECTOR OF TENNIS

Founder

ESTEBAN (COCO) de ARCOS

JUNIOR PROGRAMS DIRECTOR

BEN BERTINO

STAFF PROFESSIONAL

Oscar Valenzuela

STAFF PROFESSIONAL

Millennium hotel
1345 28th street
boulder co 80302

Website design + build Jenifer Sher Creative

Duke Paluch

RMTC Founder, Executive Director
Club Manager of former Harvest House Tennis since 1985
5430 Kids Tennis Foundation Founder
Two-time collegiate All American, Gustavus Adolphus College
Gustavus Adolphus College Athletic Hall of Fame, 2012
Top-ranked junior Northern Section, nationally ranked
State of South Dakota – Tennis Hall of Fame inductee
Bachelor of Arts – Finance, Gustavus Adolphus College
USPTA Certified (Elite Professional)
PTR Master of Tennis-Performance; PTR Adult Certified
USTA/USPTA Wheelchair Tennis Certified Coach
USTA Colorado Tournament Committee Member – 20 years!
USTA Net Generation certified /verified Coach
Over 30 years coaching experience working with all levels juniors & adults

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!” – Muhammad Ali

Donna Chitambar

RMTC Founder, Director of Operations, Director of Marketing, RMTC Stylist!
High Performance Tennis Program (HPTP) Coordinator
5430 Kids Tennis Foundation Founder
Her enthusiasm, dedication, and expertise are driving forces in the success of the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center
Passionate Adult 4.5 player captaining USTA League teams since 2010!
Management of high-end tennis clubs since 1999
Spa Management 1999-2006 – “Customer Service and hospitality are a must for any Club”
Bachelor of Science – Fashion Design, The Ohio State University
Kindergarten Teacher – 2 years
PTR certified Juniors and Adults
USTA Net Generation certified /verified Coach
Over 10 years coaching experience focusing on all levels of juniors

“I love kids, and I love teaching them the game of tennis – Make it Fun and they love it too!”

KENDALL Chitambar

RMTC Founder, Director of Tennis
Directly oversees all aspects of the RMTC teaching program
5430 Kids Tennis Foundation Founder
Former ITF professional player
Former #5 Men’s Open – Florida
Former #1 35’s & 40’s – Colorado
Studied Computer Science & Mechanical Engineering, Norwich University, Vanderbilt University, University of Colorado-Boulder
USPTA (Elite Professional)
PTR Master of Tennis – Performance
PTR Master of Tennis – Junior Development
International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA) – TPT Certified
USTA/USPTA/PTR Wheelchair Tennis Certified Coach
USTA National Wheelchair Committee Member – 2 years
USPTA-Intermountain Board of Directors, 2016-2019
USTA Net Generation Junior Wheelchair Regional Provider – Intermountain Region
USTA Net Generation certified/verified Coach
Over 30 years coaching experience at all levels from pre-K to Pros & age 2 to 96!

“The sport of tennis has defined my life.”

RMTC Junior Programs Director; Adult & Junior Programs Lead Coach
Director, Superior Tennis by RMTC Summer Program
Oversees all aspects of the Junior Development Program at RMTC & Superior Tennis
Loved attending the Davis Cup tie Argentina v. Australia in Sydney and teaches students the great joys of competition stimulated from those memories!
Licensed private pilot! Performing band member on rhythm guitar!
Known for his energy & enthusiasm among his students
Started to play tennis when he was 7 years old in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Bachelor of Arts – Sports Journalism, Universidad Círculo de Periodistas Deportivos
USPTA Elite Professional
PTR Adult & Junior certified
International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA) – TPT Certified
USTA/USPTA Wheelchair certified
USTA Net Generation certified/verified Coach
15 years coaching experience working with all levels of juniors & adults

“Tennis is like music. It has Tempo, Rhythm, and Dancing (footwork)! It is a great workout for the body & the mind!”

Ben Bertino

RMTC Staff Professional
Top 20 Sectionally ranked junior, Middle States Section
Played 1 year varsity tennis, College of New Jersey
Currently studying Psychology at Naropa University
Ben started playing tennis at 10 and hasn’t put his racquet down since!
PTR Adult Development certified
International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA) – TPT Certified
USTA Net Generation certified/verified Coach
5 years coaching experience working with all levels of juniors & adults

“As a Buddhist practitioner and student of psychology, I am deeply interested in the mind’s role in the game of tennis!”

Oscar Valenzuela

RMTC High Performance and Junior Programs Lead Coach
Director, Devil’s Thumb by RMTC Summer Tennis Program
Top 5 Nationally ranked junior, Mexico
Played 5 years varsity tennis team University of Chihuahua
Nationally ranked collegiate player, Mexico
Bachelor of Science,
Business Management
Engineering, Instituto Technólgico de Chihuahua II, Mexico
USPTA Elite Professional
International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA) – TPT Certified
USTA/USPTA Wheelchair Certification
USTA Net Generation certified/verified Coach
10 years coaching experience working with all levels of juniors & adults

“I’m Coach “O”. I started to play tennis when I was four years old, in Chihuahua, Mexico! I’ve been coaching since I was 17 years old and that’s when I discovered my passion for coaching. The main thing I’ve learned from tennis is that there is no way around hard work!”

This program is by invitation from the coach only.

MEET OUR TEAM

DUKE PALUCH

DONNA CHITAMBAR

KENDALL CHITAMBAR

ESTEBAN (COCO) de ARCOS

BEN BERTINO

Oscar Valenzuela

Duke Paluch

Donna Chitambar

KENDALL Chitambar

Esteban (Coco) De Arcos

Ben Bertino

Oscar Valenzuela