Performance & Mental Strength Coach
Rei Pelushi
Ten years coaching, on court and off it. A tennis career that reached Davis Cup, a master's in Community Counseling, and a practice built where those two things meet — helping people hold up when it counts.
On court
- Davis Cup
- Represented Albania, debut 2012
- National Championships
- Multiple titles, Albania
- Collegiate
- Missouri Valley College men's tennis
- Started at six
- First tournament win at eight
Experience
- Nov 2023 — PresentCurrent
Tennis & Mental Strength Coach
Tennis Innovators · New York
Mental strength and performance coaching alongside on-court work.
- Jul 2022 — Nov 2023
Head Coach — Tennis & Mental Strength
Missouri Valley College · Marshall, Missouri
Head coach of the men's and women's programmes.
- Jan 2022 — Dec 2022
Counselor (Internship)
Great Circle
A year of supervised counselling practice alongside the graduate degree.
- Jan 2021 — Nov 2023
Graduate Assistant, Student Affairs · Resident Coordinator
Missouri Valley College · Marshall, Missouri
Blosser Program. Supporting students outside of sport.
- Jan 2020 — Jul 2022
Assistant Tennis Coach
Missouri Valley College · Marshall, Missouri
- Aug 2021 — Oct 2021
Teacher — Freshman Seminar
Missouri Valley College
- 2018 — 2021
Head Coach — Tennis Summer Camp
Marshall High School · Marshall, Missouri
Two summer camp seasons.
- 2015 — 2018
Tennis Coach
Private coaching · Tirana, Albania
Education
- University of the CumberlandsIn progress
Ph.D., Leadership
Under way alongside the coaching work.
- Presidential Scholar
Master's, Community Counseling
The training behind the psychological side of the coaching.
- Missouri Valley College
B.S. Sport Business Management, with honours
Division of Business Scholar.
Media
Television, radio and podcast appearances, in Albanian and English, from the playing years through to this year. Everything links out to the publisher.
- Everything TennisA second invitation from the same show. Mental strength, developing players, and what actually happens to someone under pressure.
- Everything TennisThe long interview — the Davis Cup debut, the move to college tennis in the United States, and the turn toward coaching the mental side.
- Vizion PlusVizioni i PasditesAn afternoon interview after the move to the United States, on coaching and what he took from playing.
- Voice of AmericaAn interview with VOA’s Albanian service — international press, on representing Albania and playing abroad.
- RTV KlanZonë e LirëA return to the programme, this time on winning in the United States.
- RTV KlanZonë e LirëPrimetime, at twenty-two — the most-watched conversation with him anywhere, and the first at real scale.