My story: A fellow tennis player first told me about pickleball in 2013. I was skeptical, I even thought it was a little weird seeing her standing on a podium with a medal and a paddle on Facebook. Then I tried it in Spring 2014 and was immediately hooked. The sport used so many skills from my athletic background, dinking was the soft toss for double plays, my underhand pitching motion became my serve, blocking was like bunting at home plate, and catching fly balls helped me figure out the lobs. It clicked instantly.

Back then there were very few dedicated courts. I drove an hour each way to Daytona Beach Shores just to play on real courts.

I’ve been coaching since 2016 because I believe that everything I’ve learned from a decade of elite competition can be directly taught to players who are ready to hear it. The fundamentals are teachable. The strategy is teachable. And the results show up immediately.

My approach: I bring a wealth of tournament experience and the ability to teach solid fundamental skills to my students. Without a good foundation, strong serves, forehand shots, and blocking, a player cannot continue to build and improve. I particularly stress court positioning and movement as a team, making sure the middle is always covered, that every player knows who is responsible for which balls, and that positioning decisions are made before the ball arrives, not after.