Meet the Member: Brett Guisti
Where are you from? If not from Reno, what brought you here?
I grew up in Fallon, then I lived in Utah for 10 years (going to school and teaching), and I’ve been in Fernley since 2008.
How long have you been a member of WTC?
I joined in the spring of 2021. At the time I didn’t know a single person in the Reno tennis community, and now I’m sure there are over 50 people I can contact if I want to play.
What WTC or activities do you participate in?
I play in the Ladder year-round. I prefer singles to doubles (at least for a few more years), and the Ladder allows me to play all the singles matches I could ever want. I have done Bump Doubles on occasion, and this is my 2nd year captaining an 18 & Over Men’s 4.0 team out of Washoe.
My favorite part of playing at Washoe is just how much I feel at home there. Talking philosophy with Tommy or getting some tennis tips from Thad are just part of my expected tennis experience now.
What’s your tennis story? What got you started and what keeps you going?
I played a little with my dad and brother as a young kid, but really started loving the game in high school (I played for CCHS in Fallon). In college I would enter the occasional intramural tournament or have short spurts where I would find a hitting partner. Then came a family and a teaching career and I probably went a good 15 years where I only touched a racket once every few years. Then I met John Moore! He was the coach in Fallon at the time and invited me to his weekly doubles meetup at the high school. A few years later John introduced me to the Washoe Tennis Ladder. After the fun of teaching through the pandemic, being out on the courts on a regular basis was a massive breath of fresh air. I met so many great new people, was playing several times a week, got invited to play USTA, and was thrilled to have found such a great community.
Do you have any tennis goals for 2024?
I’m hoping to captain a team to Sectionals for the first time, as well as just continuing to make progress on my game.
What is another favorite hobby other than Tennis?
I love to ski and would recommend Kirkwood if you’re up for driving a little farther. I like hikes around Tahoe with my family. The hike up to the Palisades tram is quite beautiful, and you get a free ride down. I listen to a lot of audiobooks while I’m driving to and from Reno. My favorite author is Fredrik Backman. I like a good game of trivial pursuit and to talk/learn about science.
Would you like to share anything about your family, pets included?
My wife and I have four sons from (almost) 11 to 17. Yeah, we’re busy. And she is a saint for letting me play as much tennis as I do. I have not yet succeeded in getting any of my boys interested in tennis, but sometimes they’ll do me the favor of feeding me balls at the Fernley courts when I can’t make it to Reno to play.
Would you like to share anything about your occupation?
I just finished my 19th year as a high school physics teacher. I have been at the Davidson Academy for the last 14 years and would have a hard time imagining a job that I would enjoy more. And yes, I have written multiple test questions regarding the projectile flights of tennis balls. We don’t have athletic teams at my school, but I coach a Science Bowl competition team that has won the state championship for 5 years running.
Do you have any plans for the upcoming summer?
We’re looking to move to Reno by the fall, so the bad news is that a lot of my summer will be spent getting ready for that. The good news is that I’ll be able to play more tennis in the end.
Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself?
My mother is from Basel, Switzerland, so Roger and I are buddies 😉
