Amy is the CEO of Agape Tennis Academy, which currently manages public tennis centers in Fountain Valley, California, Oxnard, California, and Atlanta, Georgia. The organization provides programming to over 15,000 tennis and pickleball players annually. She currently manages a staff of over 90 tennis and pickleball coaches, administrative professionals, and business managers. Agape’s management style, processes, and systemized to approach allows the organization to continue to scale.

Amy is certified by the USTA in Sports Science and High-Performance Player Development. She is certified in Tennis by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), Pickleball by the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR), and platform tennis by the Professional Platform Tennis Registry (PPTR).

Amy is a coach, author, change expert and serial entrepreneur. Her personal and professional transformation systems show us how to infuse entrepreneurship with purpose, passion, and perseverance to create businesses that are bigger than the bottom line and positively impact communities.

Most recently in California, Agape and Amy were recognized by the United States Congress, the California Legislature Assembly, and the County of Orange as one of Fountain Valley’s finest leaders, in recognition of her small business’ contributions to the U.S. economy. Most recently in Georgia in 2020 and 2021, Agape Tennis Academy received the Best of Decatur Award. This award is given to local companies in different categories that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

In 2019, Amy was honored as the PTR Georgia Member of the Year and Tennis Media Group named Agape Tennis Academy Organization of the Year. Agape Tennis Academy was selected as the GPTA’s (Georgia Professional Tennis Association) Program of the Year in 2018. In 2017, Amy was voted Tennis Director of the Year and Agape Tennis Academy was named 10 and Under Program of the Year by the GPTA. In 2016, Agape Tennis Academy was voted Community Outreach Program of the Year by the GPTA.

Amy currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia and in San Clemente, California with her two cats Zuki and Paix. She enjoys traveling, reading, business, living life to the fullest, all things outdoors, tennis, pickleball, golf, hiking, biking, surfing, and being in the ocean.

Annie Freeman brings an interesting decades-old mix of tennis experience and hospitality to her role as Chief Operating Officer for Agape Tennis Academy. She started playing tennis at the age of seven and has continued playing ever since. Annie was the captain of her Marist School team that won the National Championship for Tennis.

After studying engineering at Marquette University, for more than 25 years she combined her work as a popular sports bar employee with managing, merchandising and systems for Serious Tennis and Berkeley Hills Country Club. In addition to her challenging work with the expanding Agape Tennis Academy, Annie and her husband also help homeowners clear their houses of clutter and organize estate sales. They now live in Lilburn with their daughter, Maddux, and 2 fur babies, Shadow and Bowie.

Jose Galvez was born in Decatur, GA and has lived in Alpharetta, GA his whole life. He was born into a Hispanic heritage through his mother, Ana, and father, Jose. He started playing tennis at three years old, and have always kept it his main sport of focus.

Once he became more advanced, he started traveling to a lot of Junior Circuit tournaments which included ITF’s, USTA National Championships, and Southerns.

Jose achieved a National Ranking of #35 in the United States when he was 18 and qualified into the Main Draw of Eddie Herr ITF Grade 1, winning 6 matches in a row to reach Round 16. Tournaments he’s played in include:

• Eddie Herr International at IMG Bollettieri
• USTA National Championships held in Kalamazoo, Michigan
• USTA Southern Championships held in Mobile, AL
• Pan American ITF Grade B1 held in Tulsa, OK
• USTA National Indoor Championships in Kansas City, MO

Jose is a student at Kennesaw State University where he was awarded a full scholarship playing Division 1 Tennis. He is enrolled in the Coles College of Business studying Business Management.

Jose has a great passion for tennis, especially when it comes to teaching junior tennis programs on a group and individual basis. He relates well to the juniors he teaches since he recently went through the process of rising through the different levels of junior programs to reach his goal of playing collegiate tennis. Jose has been with Agape Tennis Academy since 2011. He REALLY loves cheeseburgers and gladly invites anyone to enjoy one with him!

Ne’ko is from the Bronx, New York City and graduated from Washington College with a degree in psychology.  She played collegiate tennis and was the number 1 singles and doubles all 4 years and was a 3 time All-American/MVP at Washington College.  After college, Ne’ko taught tennis in Atlanta and New York City to adult and junior players of all ages and abilities.

Before joining Agape Tennis Academy, Ne’ko was the Director of Junior Development at Silvia Tennis Academy in Alpharetta, Georgia. She was responsible for leading the team and the instruction for over one hundred youth ranging from beginner to advanced levels. Additionally, she directed and owned Elite Performance Tennis which focused on training competitive junior athletes. Ne’ko is also certified in Mental Toughness.

Ne’ko loves music and sharing Bible truths with people. She and her husband have a  beautiful Boxer/Rottweiler mixed dog named Mason.

Coach Daneric was born and raised in the Fiji Islands. As a successful junior tennis player, Daneric travelled to the United States on athletic scholarships and attended New Mexico Military Institute and Carthage College. During his undergrad he qualified for Nationals and achieved All- American honors while setting program single season records for both singles and doubles. After a decorated playing career and earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, Daneric returned to be Head Coach of New Mexico Military Institute. He worked predominantly with the young men starting their college careers and trying to motivate them to use tennis as an opportunity to better themselves and to gain an education.

Daneric decided to further his own education by accepting a graduate assistant position for the women’s team at Henderson State University. After completing his masters in sports administration, Daneric pursued his coaching career at Midtown Athletic Club in Bannockburn, Illinois. At Midtown Athletic Club, he helped with the junior and adult programs teaching individual lessons, group lessons, cardio tennis and working with adult league teams. Daneric returned to Carthage College to be the Assistant coach for the men’s and women’s teams at gaining a second master’s in Educational Leadership.

During the summers, Daneric worked camps at both Carthage and Bannockburn. He discovered his joy for mentorship and a drive to help young people find confidence in themselves and in their abilities. In addition to teaching tennis, Daneric was selected to represent his country on numerous occasions and was a bronze medalist at 2015 Pacific Games in Papua New Guinea. He enjoys playing rugby, fishing, music, travelling and learning about different cultures. His passion for the sport has opened doors to education, travel and personal growth. Coach Daneric believes that through tennis you can find yourself and contribute to making the world a better place. The Agape team is so happy to have him, please welcome Coach Daneric.

Coach Anne Clarke is a Miami native with a multisport high school and collegiate athlete background. She was born with a ball in her hand coming from a family of professional athletes and coaches. Coach Anne played volleyball, softball, soccer and badminton in high school while playing USTA tennis tournaments and coaching at the local youth center. She went on to play NCAA division 1 softball and tennis in Florida.  

After injury derailed her college sports career, she focused on her media career. Coach Anne was a local newspaper editor, television producer and broadcaster in Florida. With her eye on marketing, she began a magazine publishing career.  She has published parenting and travel magazines and now is publishing city magazines in the Atlanta market.  

As the saying goes, she kept an ‘eye on the ball’ and gravitated back into sports. Since moving to Atlanta in 2003, Coach Anne played ALTA and USTA tennis; she volunteer-coached with Decatur recreation and Grady High School; served on the board of Decatur Women’s Sports League and the Women’s Outdoor Network.  Most recently she has put together the Pickleball Intown Girls league. She has become an avid pickleball player and coach. Coach Anne is a certified PCI and PPR pickleball coach.  She enjoys helping people of all backgrounds, ages, and ability levels on the pickleball courts. She began playing competitive pickleball tournaments herself in 2021.

Candace Kearney is one of the most experienced tournament directors in Georgia. She has been certified as referee and umpire for more than 10 years and has been certified as a tournament director for 11 years.

Candace is originally from Washington, DC and has lived in DeKalb county for over 20 years. As a Spelman graduate, she earned a BA in Sociology and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She believes tennis is a great sport for community involvement, junior and adult recreation, development of athletes, and development of great character traits. Candace directs multiple (12 plus) sanctioned USTA JR and Adult events at different levels as well as UTR events out of DeKalb Tennis Center, giving our current Agape players and those in the surrounding community greater access to more sanctioned tournament play.

Jamal has worked with the Atlanta Dream as the Strength and Conditioning Coach. He also traveled to China in 2018 and worked with the long speed skaters in preparation for the 2018 winter Olympics. Jamal has also served as a Massage Therapist for Team USA Track and Field at the Penn Relays in 2018 and at the 2019 U19 Pan Am Championship games.

Jamal’s coaching philosophy is based on optimal movement patterns that will enhance performance in sport as well as everyday life. His goal is to make training fun and engaging enough that it becomes a lifestyle. Once it does become a part of your lifestyle then you are now empowered to take charge of your own life.

Jamal makes achieving health and fitness simple enough to understand. He will give you a solid roadmap and walk with you every step of the way to get you to your ultimate goal. His coaching style will make your process seamless and enjoyable. He will help you to exceed your own expectations.

Joa is a small town country girl with a big heart and dazzling southern Charm. She was raised in Tuskegee, Alabama and later moved to Atlanta once she graduated high school to work towards her dream of entrepreneurship. She loves to have fun and learn new things. She keeps busy with the likes of cooking, writing, business planning, and long walks in nature. Her most favorite activity being exploration of new lands.

Joa looks forward to continue to keep improving on the tennis court while working along side a great tennis academy. She hopes to travel the world spreading her branded message of Choosing your Joy over Anything! If you see Joa in the office, feel free to say hello!

Joe is a PTR Certified teaching professional with over 25 years of experience. During his tennis journey, he has had the opportunity to play at a high level as a junior and young adult in various tennis tournaments throughout the country.

As a teaching professional, he has been fortunate enough to be able to work with toddlers, juniors, young adults, adults, and Olympians! He is very proud of the fact that he has been able to help juniors achieve their dreams of earning tennis scholarships. He also takes great joy in seeing his adult teams improve every season and ultimately compete in the City Championships.

He loves working with USTA, ALTA, and junior teams of all levels, bringing all of the personalities of the players on the court together for one purpose, TEAM! He has extensive experience in running cardio tennis, men’s drills, beginner ladies, tournaments, and fun socials as well.

Besides being a tennis professional, Joe is also a chef and traveler. He is an adventurous, energetic, kind, and creative person. The tennis courts are his home and coaching brings him the greatest joy of all!

Julie Fusik is originally from Muskegon, Michigan which makes her a HUGE Detroit sports fan. She played Division II collegiate tennis for Ferris State University where she studied Professional Tennis Management- Marketing. Julie was voted “Athlete of the Week” for her University, she was team captain, and also team “Most Improved Player”. Coach Julie has been living in Georgia with her dog, Lilly, since December of 2016. She comes to Agape Tennis Academy after working for the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College as the Director of 10 & Under Tennis/Assistant Tournament Director. Coach Julie loves working with all tennis players of all ages and levels but specializes with youth!

Coach Julie is a certified USPTA Elite Professional and serves as the southern section chair for the “Elevate” Committee, which promotes support and networking for new tennis professionals entering the industry. Coach Julie also holds certifications as a certified racquet stringer, USTA referee, USTA sport science, and is USTA safe play approved. She also volunteers time to work with USTA wheelchair tennis.

Coach Julie brings her contagious energy, ferocious work ethic, and ability to empower those around her to the Agape Tennis family! Her coaching philosophy centers around the idea of resilience. She loves the quote, “a lion doesn’t lose sleep over the opinions of sheep.” As Coach Julie says, “Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do. You are capable of anything.”

Coach Bobby Hollins is a College Park, Maryland native bringing his experience to Atlanta. He was a highly ranked junior player who represented the state of Alabama in the United States Youth Games. He received a scholarship to play collegiate tennis at Alabama A&M University. He was highlighted in the “Who’s Who Among Black Collegiate Athletes”. Coach Bobby has taught all levels and ages, including summer camps, group lessons, private lessons, and teams. He coached a junior travel team that represented in the 2018 NJTL Excellence Teams Cup held at the JTCC in College Park, Maryland. Additionally, Coach Bobby coordinated with school officials and staff to organize and train students in an after- school program that gave instructions and exposure to basic tennis through the Atlanta Youth Tennis and Education Foundation (AYTEF) at Camp Creek Middle School, Union City, Georgia. He has two teenage boys who are also highly ranked juniors in the state of Georgia.

Simon is a PTR Certified Professional and a former professional player. Simon moved from France to the United States and had the privilege to be coached by the tennis coach legend Nick Bollettieri at the Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. While competing in France, Simon won the Paris Saint-Germain Junior Open and competed in the Roland Garros Junior Tennis Tournament.

Simon attended Georgia State University on a tennis scholarship and participated in several professional tournaments in the United States including the Legg Mason Pro-Tournament in Washington D.C.

2- Time NJCAA National Champion
2- Time Men’s Open #1 ranked in Georgia
2-Time Men’s Open #1 ranked in the Southern Region

Simon also attended Kennesaw State University and earned a degree in Accounting with honors while doing community service around the Atlanta metropolitan area to teach young student-athletes the importance of education. Simon trained several City Finals ALTA and USTA Junior and Adult Teams and taught private and group lessons to students of all levels for over 12 years. He enjoys teaching tennis to juniors and adults at all levels and his greatest passion is helping students reaching their tennis goals.

In 2015, Simon and his wife welcomed the birth of their son Oliver. During his free time, Simon likes playing tennis, golf, soccer and spending time with family. In addition to English, Simon is fluent in French and speaks conversational Spanish.

Coach Chris was born and raised London, England. He attended University at Hackney College in London. Coach Chris has played sports at a high level his entire life. He played semi-professional soccer as well as tennis. He has been coaching in the Atlanta area for the past seventeen years.

Coach Chris has taught tennis all over the Atlanta area and most recently with Emory University. He has vast experience coaching adult ALTA and USTA teams, adult group and private lessons, cardio tennis, high performance junior players, recreational level junior players, and private lessons to all ages and levels. He specializes in helping doubles teams with strategy, tactical movement, stroke mechanics, and creating effective partnerships. Coach Chris has led many of his doubles teams to become City Champions at multiple levels. He is certified with the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) and with the USTA, Net Generation program. He is still a very active tennis player and has been a City Champion in Atlanta 8 times. Coach Chris enjoys playing tennis and chess. He also has apassion for music and dancing.

Coach Jeffrey is a native of Atlanta, Georgia and attended Lakeside High School, where he was an accomplished singles and doubles tennis player. Coach Jeffrey played competitive junior tournament tennis for over ten years. He played all four years of high school tennis, playing #1 doubles most of the time, for Lakeside High School. Coach Jeffrey is a one-handed backhand specialist and is an aggressive all court player. He has been coaching with Agape Tennis Academy in summer camps for three years. He is excited to bring his passion for coaching tennis to help your reach your full potential in group and private lessons.

Fun facts: Coach Jeffrey is fluent in French, an Eagle Scout, and loves to travel.

Coach Eric Melville is from Saginaw, Michigan and has worked as a USPTA certified tennis professional for over 25 years. He picked up the game of tennis his sophomore year in high school and became an avid student and lover of the game. He played for a junior college and on the Satellite Circuit before focusing solely on competitive instruction.

Coach Eric works with players of all levels. He specializes in player development and enjoys watching young beginner students transform into competitive college athletes. His experience also includes coaching USTA Midwest zonal teams with some of the country’s top junior students. Additionally, he was a USTA District Junior Competition committee member. Coach Eric has developed multiple students (including his daughter) who have went on to play collegiate tennis for UCLA, Texas Christian, Michigan State University, Toledo University, and many others.

He enjoys spending time with family, playing golf, and watching collegiate basketball and football. Coach Eric brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Agape Team.

Originally from Thailand, Ning has been playing competitive tennis since she was nine years old. She was an award-winning junior player, ranked Top 5 of her age group in Thai’s ranking and Top 400 by the ITF. Her award-winning performance continued at the college level, including multiple AAC Conference Awards from 2018 to 2020.

Coach Ning has over a decade of coaching experience with junior players from 4-18 as well as adult beginners and league team players.

Coach Emory Harris is a PTR certified graduate from Albany State University. He has over 20 years of tennis teaching experience in the Atlanta and surrounding areas. He has coached several teams to ALTA Finals and, from that, has accumulated two ALTA championship trophies.

His teaching experience includes adult teams, private lessons, beginners, Intermediate and advance adult drills. He specializes in working with children 6 years and older, 10 and under ALTA junior teams, as well as 12 and over ALTA junior teams.

Emory has 10 years of experience working at various tennis centers such as Chastain and Bisty Grant. He had a helping hand in developing the afterschool tennis program at Sutton Middle School. Also, he has taught at Emory University with their adult continuing education program.

Three words to describe Emory are energetic, skilled, and experienced.

Scott was born in Atlanta, Georgia and grew up playing tennis on the DeKalb Tennis Center courts. He developed his skills training with many of the state’s elite junior players who also used DeKalb Tennis Center as a training ground.

Scott played tennis in school at St. Pius X High School and then played collegiately at Georgia Tech. He also started and captained an ALTA team at Georgia Tech in the very first years of ALTA league play.

He continued his passion for tennis after graduation by teaching others to play the game. Tennis opened up many opportunities socially and professionally. Over the next couple of decades, through contacts developed through tennis, Scott opened several tennis pro shops and eventually opened retail tennis stores throughout the city. He also contracted with ATP and WTA tournaments to provide a retail experience at professional events.

As Scott discovered, tennis became a sport for a lifetime. Tennis is a rare opportunity in sports to learn at a very young age and literally play and enjoy for a lifetime.

As a member of the DeKalb Tennis Center staff, Scott hopes to develop skills in young people to bolster their confidence and provide a base that leads to a lifetime of rewarding experiences in tennis.

Keegan Leary was born in Atlanta, GA and has lived in Atlanta his whole life. Keegan has been part of Agape Tennis Academy for over 5 years. He started as a junior player and then moved into coaching classes. Keegan has also been a summer camp program coach for the last 4 years. Keegan specializes in teaching beginners age 5 to 12.

Keegan is a senior at Marist High School. He has helped his high school varsity tennis team win back to back state championships and is working hard to go three years in a row! In addition, Keegan and a group of friends started a pickleball club at school last year that has been wildly popular with students and faculty.

In his free time, Keegan can be found studying, playing pickleball, or hanging out with his family and friends.

Coach Fitz is a tennis coach with over ten years of experience. In addition to obtaining USPTA certification, Fitz has received additional personal training accreditation through the International Sports Science Association. Fitz also plays volleyball and Pickleball soon as well. Fitz’ patient and positive coaching mentality allows him to make tennis enjoyable for anyone, regardless of goals or previous tennis experience. The ISSA has also provided him with nutrition and bodybuilding specializations, assisting him to reach his bodybuilding goals of being nationally qualified and stepping on stage 5 times over the last 18 months . Weather you are in need for technique breakdown/advice, or just having all all around good time while burning some calories, Coach Fitz is there for you along your Journey.

Amir is a Dekalb native who started playing tennis at the age of 5. He got his first coaching job at Clayton County International park at the age of 15 and eventually earned a Division 1 scholarship to Tennessee State University playing 1 doubles and 5 singles. Along with coaching junior and adult tennis, he runs a digital design studio and loves creating new ways to experience life. Amir’s coaching style is centered around strategy and movement. Every sport is like a game of chess and it’s important to actually know why and when you should do certain things and hit certain shots in order to give you the best chance to win. Amir says tennis was ‘his first love’ and enjoys sharing his passion with others whether it be through competition or coaching.

“I am thankful for the coaches that I had but I want to be even better. I take my responsibility incredibly seriously and really make sure each student is understood and taught at the highest level possible.”

Norian started playing tennis at the age of 7 and got his first coaching job at 17, helping out with juniors at Sugar Creek Tennis Center. Norian competed in junior tournaments, team tennis, and even played in the junior WTT Tournament twice, hosted by Billie Jean King. Afterwards, he went on to play D1 tennis at Tennessee State University where he got his degree in Human Performance Sports Sciences with a focus in Kinesiology. During Norian’s time at TSU he would come back home every summer and continue working with kids of all ages and levels in the Atlanta area.

Once Norian graduated, he came back to Atlanta and began coaching kids and adults full time at Peachtree Corners and Sweetwater Tennis Center. He was assistant coach of an HP group at Sweetwater where they won girls 2021 USTA, 18U Team city Championship, Boys 18u Team city 2021 runner up, and Boys 18u Team City runner up 2022. Norian has had multiple adult women’s and mixed teams who have won ALTA/USTA Team tennis and consistent playoff contenders. Norian’s coaching style is high energy and active with a focus in fitness, mechanics, strategy, and mentality. Norian likes to have a lot of fun but also make sure players get the most out of their practice.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

• Cream made top 3 in the nation age 8-16 years old
• U14 Thailand Junior Davis Cup Team Champion of Tennis in Thailand’s Youth Sports Team category
• Winner of several youth tennis tournaments between ages of 8 and 18 Team tennis runner-up in the Thai national sports competition
• Champion of the Southern States Women’s tennis tournament in 2019 and 2022
• NAIA All-American Player NAIA First Team All-Conference

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• Assistant coach to youth group ages 5-12 years old in Thailand
• Assistant coach to Adult Doubles, ages 30-60 Assistant coach at William Carey University
• Hitting partner with high school tournament player
• Assistant coach at Srichaphan Tennis Academy (Thailand) for beginner, junior, and adult groups

Coach Warren was born and raised in Schweinfurt, Germany. He came to the United States in 1999 and lived in Savannah, Georgia until he graduated high school. He played four years of high school tennis and four years of collegiate tennis with Methodist University, Oglethorpe University, and Georgia Gwinnett College.

Coach Warren served in the United States Navy for nearly 15 years and was deployed in 2011 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. While at Georgia Gwinnett College he finished his ungraduate degree in Exercise Science with a concentration in Clinical Wellness. Coach Warren comes to Agape with a lot of leadership and coaching experience. He has previously worked at the Lifetime Fitness as the Adult Director of Tennis, Atlanta Athletic Club as a Tennis Professional, and with the Ashley Hobson High Performance Academy, all in the metro Atlanta area. Coach Warren has used his leadership skills serving in the Navy as well as on the tennis courts.

Coach Warren has been teaching tennis and pickleball professionally for over 10 years. He loves to share his passion and knowledge for both tennis and pickleball to the communities that he serves. He has certifications with the Professional Tennis Registry and the United States Professional Tennis Association. Additionally, he is 10 & under certified and has served as a USTA Player Development Coach for that state Georgia. Coach Warren is also a volunteer for the Emory Tennis Medicine Program, that works with both adult and junior tennis players on injury prevention and rehabilitation.

In addition to coaching tennis and pickleball, Coach Warren still competes in USTA tennis matches playing 5.0+ and AA1 tennis. He competes at the 5.0 and pro level tournaments in pickleball. When he is not coaching or playing tennis or pickleball, he enjoys spending time cooking, reading, traveling, and being with his family.

Coach Emory Clark is a two time Teacher of the Year Finalist, Health and Physical Education Teacher who enjoys people and sports. He is a teacher in the South Fulton area of Atlanta, Georgia. Coach Emory has a true passion for teaching. He has started a social club teaching lifetime sports, recreational opportunities, and traveling. His main focus is to help people network and stay active and healthy for a lifetime. Coaching pickleball is a perfect opportunity!

He is a level 1 IPTPA certified Pickleball Instructor. He enjoys coaching youth and adults of all ages and levels.  In his efforts to spread the word about pickleball further, he even wrote a children’s book entitled Ava Armstrong the Pickleball Princess! The book is about a little girl who just wants to play Pickleball! Coach Emory is a perfect coach for youth, those wanting to learn the game, or those looking to improve on the skills they already have! Contact Coach Emory directly to set up private or group private lessons.

Coach Denise is a lifelong athlete and tennis enthusiast. She played varsity tennis, soccer, and track in high school, and played on the college tennis team at Harvard. She taught tennis for the local recreation department during high school and college and coached at Offense-Defense Tennis Camp while in college.

Given her love of the joy and connection that sports bring to kids’ lives, initially, after her retirement from a 25-year career at the CDC, Denise volunteered with Atlanta Flying Disc Club Juniors (ultimate frisbee), eventually becoming its Director. But after her son (the ultimate frisbee player) graduated from high school, she returned to playing her own sport, tennis. Since 2019 Denise has participated on various ALTA and USTA tennis teams.

Denise started playing pickleball in Summer 2021 and quickly grew to enjoy the rapid pace and competitiveness coupled with the accessibility of the sport. Seeing her 83-year-old father’s transition from tennis to pickleball several years prior, she knew that she wanted to introduce more people to the sport. She became PPR-certified as a coach in September 2021, and looks forward to helping you pick up this increasingly popular lifetime sport!

Teresa is a Georgia native and grew up in the little town of Pelham in south Georgia. Teresa has always loved competing in any sport that challenged her. She grew up playing golf, basketball, softball and tennis. During her preteen years, Teresa would strap her tennis racquet to her motorcycle, ride to the local high school, and climb the fence to the tennis courts (since the gate was locked for summer) just to hit balls off the backboard – that’s how determined she was to be the best when she competed! In high school, Teresa coached many of the rising tennis stars at the local club, and won 3 region titles herself. Teresa went on to play collegiate tennis, winning the National Jr. College Championship in Singles. After college, Teresa played USTA and ALTA tennis, rising to the AA1 level of competition.

After graduating from the University of Georgia, Teresa had a successful 30-year career in Accounting and Finance, while continuing to enjoy tennis. In 2021 she hung up the tennis racquet for a pickleball paddle and has been hooked ever since. She enjoys the fast pace of pickleball, while playing competitive mixed doubles and women’s doubles, in addition to all the friendships she has build in a short amount of time. Teresa has won medals of every level, from Bronze to Silver to Gold, in various tournaments including the Georgia Mountain Tournament, Atlanta Open, North Carolina Open, and the Doc Holliday Shootout. Teresa also won Gold at the 2022 Atlanta Metro Open in the 55+ division and won a Golden Ticket to Nationals. She looks forward to introducing you to the sport and helping you better your game.

Coach David Epstein grew up in the New York and Massachusetts area playing tennis and baseball his whole life. After graduating from Lehigh University with a BS in Finance, he worked on Wall Street for a few years before moving to Atlanta in 1995. He decided to change professions and started teaching tennis in 2002. His pas­sion for com­mu­nity, the well being of his neigh­bors, and the demand for intown play space spurred his vision for Atlanta ContactPoint (ACP), a Georgia 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to engage the local community through the power of play. The community-based model is designed to support, educate, and facilitate comprehensive wellness programs that encompass sports, fitness, and nutritional education.

Besides acting as director of his non profit, David works with Freedom Park Preschool as an outdoor play specialist; runs several after school sports programs at local elementary schools; and hosts sport birthday parties on the weekends. He also ran the tennis program for a prestigious summer camp in upstate NY for 9 years.

Coach David lives in the Virginia Highland neighborhood with his partner of 18 years, Linda Green. His son Sam is in a rock band called Khaliko and his step-son Ian Green works with ACP as a tree climbing specialist.

He fell in love with Pickleball 3 years ago and you can find him on the courts almost every day drilling and playing. He is thrilled to share his knowledge of the game and will be focused on advanced lesson and clinics.

Brianna was born and raised in Georgia. She is attending Gwinnett Technical College working towards a Nursing degree. Aside from school and work, she loves to cook and come up with new recipes and then go to the gym to burn off all those calories. She is a very competitive person and loves having game nights with friends and family. She is also an aspiring model and has an all natural skin care line that is set to drop in 2022.