Rick Kepler loves the challenge of helping people of all ages and abilities improve at the game of tennis, to which he has devoted more than 22 years.
A member of the USPTA, Rick graduated from the University of Southern California in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication. Shortly after managing Seascape Sports Club for two years, he decided to teach full time because of his love of the game. He is now the Tennis Director at Seascape Sports Club in beautiful Aptos, Calif.
Rick has won twelve (12) national doubles titles since he started playing senior events in 1994, ten (10) with longtime partner Brian Cory of Prunedale, CA and two (2) in mixed with Erika Smith of Oakland, CA. His most recent Championship was at the 2008 Men's 40s Hardcourts. Rick has been ranked No.1 in the nation in Men's 35 and 40s doubles individually for six years consecutively from 2002-2007. For the last 3 years 2008-2010 he and his partner have finished #2 nationally in doubles and was #6 in the United States in singles in 2010. In 2009, Rick was selected to represent the United States in the World Team Championships which takes only four of the top players in the nation. The team placed 2nd in the World and beat #1 seeds and defending champs Italy enroute to the finals against France. In 2000 he was a player/captain of his own national championship Open-level USTA League Tennis team. He and his son, Jordan, reached the finals of the 69 team field at the Level One 2009 National Father/Son Hardcourt Championships at La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club.
Rick also has been the tournament director and continues to assist in the success of the $100,000 Comerica Challenger, the longest running men's challenger in the United States. In past years, the tournament, held at Seascape Sports Club, has drawn players such as Andy Murray, Patrick Rafter, Michael Chang, Mardy Fish, and James Blake. Over the past several years, this tournament has raised more than $100,000 for Easter Seals of Central California. Since 2000, it raised over $50,000 for the Alzheimer's Association.
As Tennis Director at Seascape Sports Club, Rick runs over 20 USTA tournaments a year with an emphasis on Junior tournaments. He runs the USTA Norcal 14s Sectionals and has been doing so for over 10 years. The junior tournaments he manages yearly have the highest percentages of players participating in doubles because of hard work and an innovative style. USTA League Tennis is very active at Seascape with 40 plus teams fielded annually with several reaching regional playoffs consistently which he oversees.
Committed to introducing people in the community to the game of tennis, Rick has been a member of the USTA Board in Norcal for nine out of ten years from 2001-2011 and is currently on the Norcal Board now. He also founded and is President and CEO of a non-profit community tennis association called the Monterey Peninsula Tennis Association in 2003 with it's main focus being showing tennis to elementary age kids with a follow up program at their school. He has worked with more than a dozen schools throughout Santa Cruz County, introducing tennis to every child at the schools and putting it into their after-school programs. In addition to running year-round junior tennis programs at his club, he manages junior teams that travel and play. He is also involved in coaching the Aptos High School Girls' Varsity and Junior Varsity teams where he continues to implement a 'No-Cut' policy and is one of the top individual fundraisers at the school. He also is the Coordinator for the USTA Santa Cruz Junior Team Tennis League which runs Quickstart 10 and under leagues all year long.
Rick, who is 44years old, owes much of his success and dedication to Lisa, his understanding and beautiful wife of over 20 years. Together they are raising three wonderful children - son Jordan, 20; daughter, Haley, 17; and son Devan, who is 13. All three of his kids love tennis.
