Coaching Team

• Former owner / Head Coach Sunnybank Tennis , 1998 – 2017 
• Head coach Milton Tennis Centre , 91 – 98 
• Played / coached German team tennis 91/92
• Ranked 3 singles /1 doubles Queensland early nineties 
• Australian team member over 45 , 2014 (Turkey) 
• Australian team member 0ver 50 s 2019 ( Portugal ) 
• Winner Australian 50’s doubles, 2019 

Coaching Style:

I am a 33 year old French Coach, my coaching philosophy is based on friendship and development. Success is built on effort and resilience. I’ve now stepped back into the Head Coach role at Tennis Gear doing Hot Shots, Squads and private coaching. 

Key Attributes:

I enjoy bringing an element of fun to the court while maintaining a strong commitment to improving the skills of all players. I love planning Tennis Programs, organising events, having an awesome leadership team and developing tennis players. 

Experience and Qualifications:

Leysin Tennis | October 2021-Present

Coaching Style: I believe tennis can teach a person more than tactics and techniques. Tennis can develop a player’s mindset, motivation and confidence in one’s life. I have seen this with myself and my players. I want to focus on developing the essential technical and tactical skills while having an amazing and memorable time on court.

Experience: I have been playing tennis for 16 years where I lived and played in Melbourne. I competed in junior tournaments from the age of 12 and participated in my high school 1st team from year 7 onwards and was a member of the first Girl’s tennis team to win the APS tennis premiership (2015). From 2016, I moved to Townsville for university and became acquainted with Wayne Hannah at tennis Townsville and he introduced me into coaching. I have been coaching with TennisGear since late 2018, coaching all ages and groups from hot shots, squads, school and private coaching.

Key Attributes: Focused, kind hearted, passionate on the development of each player I work with. Determined to work towards seeing growth in the participation of women in tennis from their younger years and continuing through their teenage and adult years.

Qualifications: Community coaching course certificate

Coaching Style: I am an adaptable coach with the determination to push players to always do their best to become the best tennis player and person they can be. I love nothing more than to see players improve, focusing primarily on a tactical approach with assistance of technique to assist the player’s ability and performance. I care deeply for family oriented environments and encouraging all players to feel welcome and to get along with others for everyone to push themselves consistently.

Experience: I have been playing tennis for 10 years and has been coaching for 5 and a half years as of early 2020. I coach all age groups and skill levels and have worked on the sunshine coast since I first became a tennis coach. Since joining TennisGear in late 2019, I have been coaching the Hotshots program (Red, orange and green ball), Orange squad and Private lessons.

Key Attributes: I am a determined and caring individual and I believe that allows me to get along with children and to understand how they feel and what they want to do in the way they wish to learn and develop to help push players to always do their best. I am very open to criticism and wish to improve as best I can, implementing new things I learn along the way to help push players and myself as an individual. I care for equality and fair play within and outside of my lessons so people feel welcome all the time which I actively try to pass on to my students as well.

Qualifications: Tennis Australia Junior Development Coach

• Queensland Tennis Centre – Senior Tennis Coach: 2016-2017 
• Dublin City Parks Tennis League – Head Tennis Coach: 1996- 2013 
• Westwood Club (Dublin) – Senior Tennis Coach: 2007-2010
• Parklands Sports Centre (Sydney) – Senior Tennis Coach: 2005-2006
• Academie Menard Girardin (Montreal) – Tennis Coach: 2001
• Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (New York) – Tennis Coach: 2000
• Charleville Lawn Tennis Club (Dublin) – Tennis Coach: 1998-2002
• Realised a childhood dream of mine, by climbing to the summit of Mt Everest in 2012. For me it was like winning Wimbledon, maybe a bit easier but much higher risk.

Coaching Style:
My coaching philosophy focuses on helping players maintain the essential core tennis
techniques while maximizing each player’s unique strengths and potential. Rather
than applying the same approach to every player, I tailor my training to suit individual
needs. At the same time, mastering the core techniques is crucial, as it ensures that
each training session moves in the right direction. This balance between preserving
individuality and ensuring strong fundamentals is at the heart of my teaching
approach.

Experience:
I officially joined Tennis Gear in 2024, bringing with me over ten years of tennis
experience. I grew up in China, where I started learning tennis from a young age. In
China, coaches tend to focus heavily on the details of every movement, with a strong
emphasis on perfecting each step. However, as I grew older, I realized that this strict
teaching style can sometimes cause beginners to lose interest in the sport. This insight
has inspired me to adjust my own coaching approach, aiming to maintain engagement
while still emphasizing fundamental techniques. During my undergraduate studies, I
also represented my college and won a university-level doubles championship. Now,
as part of the Tennis Gear team, I am dedicated to coaching Hot Shots, school
programs, squads, and offering private lessons.

Key Attributes:
I combine fun with technique in my coaching, focusing not only on improving tennis
skills but also on fostering each player’s understanding and thinking about the game. I
believe it’s essential for players to immediately apply the new techniques they learn
into match scenarios. This hands-on approach helps solidify their skills and enhances
their overall development.
Qualifications:
Community coaching course certificate

Coaching style: I am passionate about maximising every player’s potential.  Giving them the best opportunity to improve themselves both as a player and a person.  More recently I am passionate about growing the game of tennis and passing on my coaching knowledge and experience to the TennisGear coaching team.  

Experience:  A former South African, Damien lived and worked in the UK where he was the LTA Great Britain’s National Women’s Coach from 2007-2013 This role has seen him work closely with Great Britain’s Federation Cup team and players like Laura Robson (Career-high WTA rank #27) and Heather Watson (current WTA rank #38.  As a player, Damien reached an ATP rank of #273 in singles and #152 in doubles before progressing into coaching on the ATP tour working with players including Wesley Moodie (ATP Singles ranking #70 and Wimbledon Doubles Champion), John Laffnie De Jager (ATP Doubles #20), Robbie Koenig (ATP Doubles #30), Chris Haggard and Jeff Coetzee (ATP Doubles rankings of #30). More recently Damien has been TennisGears’ Coach and Development Manager since 2017

Key attributes: An enthusiastic and experienced tennis professional, adopting a motivated and positive approach to all tasks. . Key assets are the ability to communicate with people and colleagues at all levels, organize and manage tennis center programs and personnel.  A loyal, determined and results oriented person.

Qualifications: TA Development Coach, LTA Master Performance Coach