Source: PTR
Hilton Head Island, SC — Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) will present its annual awards next week during the 2018 PTR International Tennis Symposium. The event, which includes more than 40 educational presentations for tennis teachers and coaches, will be held February 13-16, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Avi Kigel, of Miami Shores, Florida, has been named PTR Jim Verdeick College Coach of the Year. Kigel has been a PTR member since 2007.
Kigel is entering his 10th year as Women’s Head Coach at Barry University, with a 220-22 overall record and three NCAA Division II Championships under his belt. In 2017, Kigel coached the Buccaneers to a 30-0 record, and his team became the first sport at Barry University to go undefeated. That same year, four of his players were All-Americans and he was named the ITA's South Region Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his career.
In 2016, his Buccaneers went 18-4, advancing to the finals of the Sunshine State Conference Tournament and NCAA South Regional. Barry finished the year with a #6 national ranking, and were third in the SSC regular season. In 2015, Barry went 24-2, finishing as the national runner-up. Kigel led the Bucs to its second national championship in 2014. That year, the Bucs went 29-1.
Kigel was named the ITA National Coach of the Year for the second time in his career. He also was named the SSC Coach of the Year after capturing the fifth consecutive postseason tournament championship and first regular season title in league history. Additionally, he was named the ITA South Region Coach of the Year for the second straight season.
As a college player for Norfolk State University, Kigel was ranked 15th in singles in NCAA Division II. He was named Freshman of the Year in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. He helped NSU win the conference titles in 1995 and 1996, and was named Most Valuable Player both years. After his sophomore year, NSU moved to Division I and joined the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. During the Spartans’ first two years of MEAC competition, Kigel helped lead them to the semifinals of the conference tournament. As a junior, he amassed a 41-10 record, largely over Division I opponents.
About PTR
PTR is the largest global organization of tennis teaching professionals with more than 16,000 members in 125 countries. It has the greatest percentage of multicultural and women members of any such organization. PTR is dedicated to educating, certifying and serving tennis teachers and coaches around the world in order to grow the game.
