Politics & Government

Forest Hills Leader in Tennis Steps Down

Mark Paull has been a mentor for generations of kids from the neighborhood.

A longtime tennis coach who influenced more than two decades worth of students in Forest Hills has stepped down from his post.

Mark Paull, who grew up in and moved to Shadyside in recent months, started running the local tennis program in 1990 and has helped to form young players who have gone on to be key members of high school and college tennis teams across the region.

Forest Hills Council members discussed the change at their regular meeting Wednesday, where they also approved and hired the new tennis coach, Youssef Abdelwahab.

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The new coach has been serving as Paull’s assistant.

“Mark will be missed and he kept it fun for the kids,” said council member Mike Belmonte.

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Council member Steve Karas said the program has acted as a training center of sorts for players who go on to a number of high schools throughout the city.

“It’s really a valuable asset,” Karas said.

Paull has been a math teacher for 20 years at the University School in Shadyside.

The program has a junior tennis traveling team with 75 students—all from Forest Hills. Other programs are open to nonresidents, but only those from Forest Hills can compete in the program.

Maria McCool of Forest Hills

“Mark Paull is one of the most treasured assets that Forest Hills has," she said. "He could never be paid enough for his time, talent, and total devotion to the kids of Forest Hills and to tennis. Many of the students who first held a racket in his program have gone on to excel at the high school and college level, but more importantly, they developed a lifelong love of the game and will probably continue to play as adults."


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