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Darren Blade
Head Coach

Coaching Style:

I am dedicated to extracting the best from every player by emphasizing good technique and promoting intelligent tennis play. Tennis, at its core, is a simple game that is sometimes needlessly complicated. I firmly believe that every player is unique, with their own individual technique, physical abilities, and level of determination. My role as a coach is to assist players in discovering their distinct style and guiding them to maximize their full potential, striving for optimal results. In my view, tennis is not just a sport; it's a unique endeavor that enhances various skills, not only in the sport itself but also in personal development.

My coaching philosophy centers around making the journey enjoyable and fostering a healthy, social approach to tennis. I've been a part of the TennisGear for years now where I've been fulfilling the role of a head coach for all squad players.

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 believe in the importance of understanding one's technique and mastering the game. Staying physically fit and finding enjoyment in the process adds to the overall tennis experience.

Experience and Qualifications:

Former owner and Head Coach of Sunnybank Tennis from 1998 to 2017, where I also played and coached the German team in 1991 and 1992. I was ranked 3rd in singles and 1st in doubles in Queensland in the early nineties. Additionally, I proudly represented the Australian team in the over 45 category in 2014 in Turkey and again in the over 50s category in 2019 in Portugal. I also achieved victory in the Australian 50's doubles in 2019.

 
  • 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 
Clive Martin
Senior Coach
 
Coaching Style: I believe in getting the best out of each player, by teaching good technique and getting the player to play smart tennis. Tennis is a simple games sometimes made complicated
 
Experience: Clive has coached in the UK, Europe, and Australia and has over 35 years of coaching and playing experience. LTA (UK) representative coach and hitting partner 1985-1989. Head coach at clubs and tennis centres in both the UK and Australia, with 4 years ATP tour experience. For 10 years, Clive represented the Hertfordshire LTA (UK) team and was a coach to Cliff Richard and other high profile entertainers whilst he resided in London. His career highlight was playing at Wimbledon in the 1984 qualifying singles.
 
Key Attributes: Honest, strong work ethic, determined
 
Qualifications: LTA (UK) development coach 1987 and ATPCA (Australia) level 3 master pro 2013
   
Alexis Joye
Head Coach

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

Squad Coordinator (Leysin, Switzerland)
 
Managing the squad and the adult programs conducted at the tennis centre
Developing state ranked junior tennis players
Teaching padel lessons
Managing the staff, equipment and marketing resources
 
Tennis Escapade | September 2021-July 2022
Head coach (Gravelone, Switzerland)
Coaching tennis at the centre and at different schools Creating tennis groups
Conceive tennis programs
Organising different events (tournaments, social tennis)
 
Five Sports Management | July 2020-September 2021
Senior coach (Geneva, Switzerland)
Conducting group and private lessons in a luxury hotel Teaching high-quality lessons for the clients Managing tennis programs at a ski station (Verbier)
 
Spin Tennis | February 2020-June 2020
Senior coach (Singapore)
Conducting group and private lessons Creating tennis groups for different venues Promoting the academy on social medias
 
Experience:

2020- 2024
Squad Coordinator (Leysin, Switzerland)
2019-2020

Singapore
Tennis coach with Top Spin Academy
2017-2019

Squad Coordinator at Morningside Tennis Center
2010- 2017

France
Head coach in Paris

Qualifications
- Swiss Tennis Federal Certificate
November 2021 Bienne, Switzerland
- Padel Coach Bronze Hello Padel
2024 Geneva, Switzerland
- Diploma of Youth Education and Sport
September 2010 Créteil,France)
Jacqui Pacholec
Senior Coach

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

Brendan Foster
Coach

 

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

 
Philip Gee
Coach
Coaching Style: My coaching philosophy is shaped by a rich tapestry of experiences from Hong Kong and Australia. I focus on recognizing the unique qualities of each player, nurturing their individual styles and strengths. I believe tennis is more than just a sport; it's a powerful medium for personal and skill development. My approach is to make tennis a fun and socially engaging activity. With two years of coaching experience, I blend enjoyment with effectiveness, emphasizing tactical understanding alongside technique and volume.
 
Experience: My tennis journey began at the age of 5, culminating in a 13-year career as a professional player. I competed in ITF junior tournaments throughout Southeast Asia and represented Hong Kong during my junior years. Achieving a ranking within the top 900 in the world junior rankings, my past playing and training experiences significantly influence my coaching style today. I am committed to using these experiences to further develop upcoming juniors, guiding them to the next level in their tennis careers.
 
Key Attributes: I combine enjoyment with productive learning in my coaching sessions, focusing on tactical acumen as much as technical proficiency. This balance helps players not only improve their game but also understand it deeply.
 
Qualifications: I hold a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Marketing and Public Relations, from Queensland University of Technology. This academic background complements my practical tennis experience, providing a unique perspective on coaching. Additionally, I am certified in Tennis Australia's Community Coaching program, further solidifying my coaching credentials and commitment to the sport.
 
This blend of international playing experience, academic background, and coaching qualifications enables me to offer a comprehensive and engaging tennis coaching experience.
Cian O'Brolchain
Senior Coach
Coaching Style:
 
In my opinion, tennis is the greatest sport in the world. Saying that, I think it is one of the most difficult sports in the world, from a technical, physical and mental standpoint.  There are so many things to learn in tennis and believe that learning good technique is crucial for the early days of your tennis journey. Everyone is different, some people are stronger, fitter, better technically and mentally. Its so important for both coach and players to discover what their strengths and weaknesses are and work to develop those skills along with putting extra work into the areas that are not so good. Playing matches and tournaments is one of the most important parts of a players progress and development. Learning how to deal with pressure, keeping calm, putting what you practice, both on and off the court with your coach and others,  into a match, can really test you and give you the confidence, belief and positive attitude to go onto bigger things. One of the most important things for me when coaching is that the players and myself, enjoy being on the court, learning new skills, seeing progress, getting good exercise, giving 100%, being passionate about the game, and meeting new people.
 
Key Attributes:
 
Working with people, taking on challenges, performance and success motivates me. I believe that having passion and vision enables people to reach their goals, follow their dreams and achieve great things in life. The key ingredients to achieve results is being prepared and organised, staying positive, research and knowing what you are doing.
I like to push my players to challenge themselves and me, while improving their technical skills and physical capabilities. The more work you put into tennis and other things, the more you get out of it and will enjoy the process and the end results. There is always room for improvement and the skills you learn from tennis are transferable to other sports and other walks of life. Having a healthy body and mind is so important for the game of tennis and life in general. Most importantly, we must enjoy playing tennis and being on the court. I would describe myself as motivated, practical and productive.
 
Experience:
 
I have been involved in coaching and playing tennis at a high level in Ireland and around the world for the last 30 years. During my coaching years in Ireland, I have worked with junior national squad players on all aspects of the game to improve individual tactics and technique. I have coached all ages (3yrs – 80yrs) and standards of tennis players in different tennis clubs and centres. 
I have also been involved in managing / captaining tennis teams, organising tournaments, sports administration, sports management, marketing and corporate finance. I give motivation presentations to tennis players, teams, sports clubs and corporate.
Past Captain of Charleville LTC Mens 1st team.
Past Captain of University College Dublin Tennis Club.
Past winner of school, university and interprovincial tennis tournaments and leagues in Ireland.
 
 
  • 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.
Qualifications:
Tennis Ireland Level 0 & Level 1 coaching qualification
Professional Climber and Mountain Guide with World Sherpas PTY LTD
MSc in Financial and industrial Maths: Dublin City University
BA in Maths and Statistics: University College Dublin
Yanchen (Edward) Liu
Coach

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

Damien Roberts
Head Coach & Development Manager

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