Our Team — Lafayette Tennis Association

Paul Rosenbaum

LTA FOUNDER & LTA BOARD MEMBER

Paul Rosenbaum started the Lafayette tennis programs in 2004 while a volunteer with the Friends of Lafayette Park. With the Lafayette Elementary School adjacent to the tennis courts, he designed a lunchtime tennis program where the kids would come up to the courts during their then-40 minute recess to hit tennis balls. It continued until recess was cut to 30 minutes 😢. Summer camps were added to the kid programs employing many teens from the neighborhood to help as counselors in training (CITs) then camp counselors. He always took the kids over to the Citi Open tennis tournament so they could see professional men and women in action. Fun fact: Andrew Fenty (DC Mayor Adrian Fenty’s son) played in our lunchtime tennis program before moving over to the tennis academy in College Park. He turned pro and played at the Citi Open in 2025. Paul continued to run tennis programs through the pandemic and formed the non-profit Lafayette Tennis Association (LTA) in 2010 to start an ongoing partnership with DPR. In 2022, he turned over the day-to-day activities of the tennis programs to Kate Emanuel and LTA Tennis Director Erin Rosebar but has stayed on LTA’s board. He oversaw the repair and resurfacing of the Lafayette-Pointer Park (LPP) tennis courts in October, 2025. He was also involved in having the Mubadala Citi DC Open use the LPP courts as practice courts for the pros during to 2025 tournament. To borrow from the famous quote in the Ted Lasso TV series, “Tennis is Life”.
Erin Rosebar

LTA TENNIS DIRECTOR

Erin is a lifelong multigenerational Washingtonian who has been playing tennis since she was five and teaching tennis since she was 12 years old at Rock Creek (Carter Baron) as she grew up in the Crestwood neighborhood. Born in 1976 to a family of tennis players, she developed a deep love and commitment to the game. Erin is also a mom of 4 of which all are or have been students of Lafayette Elementary. Erin began working with LTA in 2016 and received her USPTA certification in 2020. Currently she is the director of tennis for LTA while 2 of her 4 children help to teach during the summer program.
Kate Emanuel

LTA CO-DIRECTOR

Kate is a tennis nut and got her first lessons from the Lafayette Tennis Association years ago. She now plays in various neighborhood associations and is a member of the Capital Tennis Association where she enjoys both singles and doubles play. As co-director of LTA, she works closely with LTA Tennis Director Erin Rosebar on running our youth and adult programs including programming, finances, registration and permitting.
Syd Butler

COACH (YOUTH & ADULTS)

Syd has been playing tennis since he was 15 years old and is a real student of the game. He has been with the Lafayette Tennis Association since 2011 and has worked with both adults and children since that time. Syd is dedicated to stroke and footwork technique and enjoys advancing players’ particular skills in all aspects of the game.
Danielle Faucher

COACH (ADULTS)

Danielle is a life long tennis lover having competed at the USTA national junior level and played NCAA Division 1 tennis for Virginia Tech for 4 years. She has a patient teaching approach and specializes in beginner and intermediate level students looking to improve and have fun playing tennis in the community. Danielle joined the LTA Board of Directors in 2021 and is a former Lafayette Elementary mom bringing a passion and enthusiasm for the game guaranteed to elevate your play.
Alex Alterman

COACH (YOUTH & ADULTS)

Alex Alterman attended Lafayette as a second and third grade student many, many years ago. He has been playing tennis for 20+ years. Alex is a member of the Capital Tennis Association and plays regularly at Hains Point and Rock Creek tennis centers. He is excited to share his love of tennis with children and adults alike.
Forrest Bankston

COACH (YOUTH & ADULTS)

Forrest has extensive background with both competitive play and instruction. He played very competitive juniors (8-18 yrs old) and maintained high/top state, regional, and national rankings in singles and doubles in highest competition divisions. He also played and coached Division I college tennis as an undergrad. He's a former USTA Junior Tennis Development Committee member for the Georgia Tennis Association and also founded a Skills & Drills tennis clinics beginning with a 6-player pilot program that grew to 3600 players within one year. Forrest has taught tennis off and on since he as 15 years old, including private, semi-private, and group/team lessons. He's worked with players of all ages and skill levels and builds a customized approach for each player’s development.
Delmas Ntcha

COACH (YOUTH & ADULTS)

Delmas, originally from Cotonou, Benin, began playing tennis at the age of six and competed across five continents. His success earned him a scholarship to the University of Nevada, Reno, where he played at the top of the lineup in both singles and doubles. He also earned a master’s degree in Computer Information Systems. Driven by his passion for tennis, Delmas now dedicates his career to coaching, inspiring others to develop their love for the game.
Will Perez

COACH (YOUTH & ADULTS)

A DC native from Chevy Chase, Will started playing tennis at the age of 10 and quickly fell in love with the sport. He played varsity tennis in high school and also taught kids at a sleep away camp for several summers in Vermont. Will recently started playing tennis again more seriously and finds himself on the tennis courts almost everyday.
Amy Georgescu

COACH (YOUTH)

Amy Georgescu started teaching and playing tennis in Pennsylvania, her home state, at the age of 13. Her love for the sport and for working with youth has continued and now she is a sophomore at GW. She joined Lafayette Tennis in the Fall of 2022 and has loved helping students improve their form and technique, while most importantly having fun!