Vasile Beches was born in Bucharest, Romania and came to the U.S. when he was 16 years old. His journey took him to California and without knowing a word of English, he finished high school in three years, and earned a scholarship to Lambuth University, Tennessee and majored in Physical Education.

Vasile played on the tournament circuit until a serious bike accident ended his playing career. It was then that Vasile found his love of teaching. He started as a ball feeder at Kramer Club and a hitter for Dell Little, a coach of Tracy Austin, Pete Sampras, and Alexandra Stevenson. He has also worked with other prominent Juniors from the LA area. Vasile has worked in the South Bay since 1990 and has a thriving business.

Positions Held:

USTA Player Development – Head Coach of the South Bay/LA CTC

USTA National Zonal Championships – Professional Coach  

Redondo Union High school – Assistant Coach

Certifications:

Professional Tennis Registry (PTR)

United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) – Level 1 Pro

United States Tennis Association (USTA) High-Performance Coach

Notable Awards:

Southern California Tennis Association (SCTA) – Professional of the Year in 2003

Vasile has coached countless students that went on to play high school, college, and national tournaments. Many of his students received scholarships from top universities including USC, Stanford, and UC Irvine.

In 2005 Vasile founded Starfish Tennis. Through Starfish, Vasile and his staff offer children’s camps, Marine League Coaching, private, semi-private, and group lessons to all ages and levels. 

Starfish Tennis also conducts after school programs at Elementary Schools in the South Bay.  Starfish Tennis partners with Southern California Tennis Association to provide free lessons to children in the South Bay.

Vasile met his wife, Mindy, at The US Open in 1998. They have a son, Mason and a daughter, Haven, who both love tennis.