Meet the USTA wheelchair tennis national development team

The new USTA wheelchair tennis national development team was created with the goal of growing wheelchair tennis across the country through coach and athlete development by an experienced and highly trained team of developers. The program is also designed to provide a pipeline and hands-on professional development for wheelchair tennis coaches and facilitators.

The members of this team will lead and/or assist All-Comers Camps, Coach Development Workshops, Industry Presentations and Workshops, and USTA National & ITF Professional Tournaments.

The four individuals who make up the inaugural class of the USTA wheelchair tennis national development team have already made their mark on the sport, and we know they will continue to make a positive impact on new and returning wheelchair tennis players alike.

Jason Keatseangsilp

Jason was an avid tennis player looking to play D3 tennis prior to his spinal cord injury in 2011. After intensive rehabilitation, he completed his undergraduate in biomedical engineering from the University of Arizona in 2017.

Following graduation, he rediscovered his passion for tennis again by playing wheelchair tennis. From 2017-2024, his major wheelchair tennis highlights were earning a wildcard to compete in the US Open 2022, representing Team USA for 5 World Team Cups, and winning 30 ITF titles.

Now, Jason tutors math both privately and for the University of Arizona while remaining active in wheelchair tennis by coaching juniors and hosting community events.

Christopher Kelley

Christopher Kelley, originally from Grand Haven, MI currently resides in Ann Arbor, Mich. He is the Assistant Director of Adaptive Sports and Fitness at the University of Michigan where he manages their four competitive sports teams: wheelchair tennis, basketball, rugby and adaptive track and field.

Chris has been involved with wheelchair tennis at the local and national level as a player, coach, and administrator since 2012. Chris says, "this sport means so much to me and I am honored to be able to give back and continue growing the game I love." 

She also serves as the tournament director for an ITF 2 and USTA 2 wheelchair event leading up to the US Open and organizes two national junior and adult wheelchair tennis camps each year.

Beyond JTCC, she works to expand wheelchair tennis nationwide as co-coordinator of the Wheelchair Tennis Regional Provider Initiative and through her involvement with USTA national committees. A former NCAA Division II player and team captain, she played under USTA National Wheelchair Coach Paul Walker before dedicating her career to adaptive tennis.

"It's incredibly special to be chosen as one of the first in this cohort of coaches,"  Hesse said. "It feels very rewarding just knowing that the work I've put in to grow the program and expose players to wheelchair tennis through JTCC to be able to have the opportunity to bring back knowledge and learn from other experiences to help them take their game to the next level."

Gabriel is also serving his second term as a volunteer on the USTA Texas Wheelchair Tennis Committee and is currently serving his first term as the High School Subcommittee Chair of the USTA Wheelchair Tennis National Committee. Gabriel is a University of Houston alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Gabriel continues to improve his coaching skills to serve his team and community better.

"Something that excites me a lot is how many people I'll be able to reach," Gutierrez said. "I'm very passionate about what I do and I want to see the [growth] of the sport and help train other coaches how to coach wheelchair tennis, because there's not many of us out there. I'm very happy to be part of the group that's going to help other coaches improve their skills and be more knowledgeable about wheelchair tennis."