Meet our coaching team.
My Story:
In December 2014 I came to IA to practice with some players while in Bradenton for Eddie Herr. Driving out of the car park I had a feeling that this would be a great place to be. In April of 2015, I got a call from Inspiration . . . the rest is history.
Professional Background:
- Thirty three year coaching experience in 60 + countries
- Worked with some of the worlds best coaches starting out: Dennis Van Der Meer, Peter Burwash
- Coaching wins over #1 player on ATP and WTA tours – Sampras and Capriati
- Worked with many top 100 players on men’s and women’s tours
- Developed 15- 20 US National champions
- Developed two players boy and 1 girl – 2017/2020 who played at “La Petit As” for the USA (Top 3 in USA)
- Grand Slam junior champion 1996 – developed from age 6
- National Coach for Hong Kong, China 1996-2001
- Hong Kong – Davis Cup Coach and Captain – 5 years
- Federation Cup Coach and Captain – 5 years
- Developed two teams (6 boys) to world group of Junior Davis Cup and World junior Tennis in 2001 for Hong Kong, China
- Coaching seminar speaker – Japan, Singapore, South Africa, Hong Kong, US High Schools Assoc, GA High Schools Assoc, Florida Coaches Association
- Speaker ITF regional coaches conference Guangzhou China, 2016
- Produced videos – “Movement for Tennis” and “Tennis Technique – Player Development”
- Educated as a lawyer with BA and LLB degrees
- Tennis education: PTR – 1989 National Tester, USTA High Performance coach 2002, ITF Worldwide coaches conferences – 1997 – Mexico, 1999 – Morocco, 2002 –
- Thailand, 2004 – Portugal
- NSCA – strength and conditioning coach – CSCS
- AIS – Active Isolated Stretching – certified coach
- Completed 5 Ironman triathlons, multiple marathons and 2 ultra marathons
- Married with two children
My Story:
I was raised in a tennis family which is where my passion about tennis is from. Starting to play tennis when I was four years old, I’ve always been with the JTI (Junior Tennis Initiative) of Cambodia until I was sixteen years old. I reached #1 in the nation and got selected to be in the National Team of Cambodia. I was one of the first Cambodian’s athlete to be recruited to play college in the US. I played for LCSC’s Warrior and achieved Bachelor degree in Information Technology. I have given lessons and coaching to kids, high schools, and adults in Cambodia also throughout my four years in LCSC. I worked as a tennis counselor in Camp Takajo for two summers.
Being here at IA was a recommendation from Robert Davis who was Cambodian’s National Team’s head coach, also former colleague to Ashley Hobson. Both Robert Davis and Paul Newman who is a former IA’s coach have encouraged me to pursue my tennis career as a coach at IA where no other place could offers.
IA is a place where I can share my experience as a tennis player myself and learning to be a high-performance tennis coach from one of most well-known coach Ashley Hobson.
Professional Background:
- Bachelor of Applied Sciences from Lewis-Clark State College in Information Technology
- ITA Scholar Athlete and achieved both President’s and Dean’s lists in all four year of college
- National #1 Junior in Cambodia
- Got selected into Cambodian National Team
- Being one of the first Cambodian’s athlete to obtain student-athlete’s scholarship
- Two years interned in LCSC’s IT Help Desk
- Six years of experience coaching and teaching in all level from grass-roots to adult
- Two summers coaching tennis at Camp Takajo
My Story:
Marcin Rozpedski is a native of Warsaw, Poland where, at an early age, excelled on the tennis courts. At the age of 15, knowing he needed to hone his competitive skills in the United States, Rozpedski settled in at the world-famous Van der Meer Tennis Academy on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Over the next five years, he developed into an elite player, one that was good enough to draw the interest of tennis dignitaries in Poland. In 1994, Rozpedski traveled back to his home country and captured a national title. His stellar play also catapulted him onto the international scene with a spot playing on the Polish Davis Cup team. However, playing Davis Cup against Nigeria in 1995, Rozpedski contracted malaria and soon thereafter his days as a professional tennis player were over.
But his love of the sport and physical determination sent him back to the United States and enabled him to earn a full tennis scholarship to UCLA in 1999 and play for legendary coach Billy Martin. As a Bruin, his love of California quickly grew and he eventually would reside in Bermuda Dunes, near Palm Desert. Rozpedski is currently the Sports Director at the Lakes Country Club, growing the tennis membership from 40 members to over 500 racquet sport members. Priding himself on the ability to develop a creative and fun learning environment that left players wanting more. While he enjoys teaching tennis at all levels, his passion has always been to inspire promising juniors reach their tennis potential. Working with Rosie Casals at the Love & Love foundation for underprivileged tennis players and with the high-performance juniors at the Andy Scorteanu Tennis Academy, Marcin has helped many junior tennis players become Division 1 & 2 collegiate athletes.
His love of tennis would constantly bring him back to the professional circuit, training and traveling with some of the world’s best tennis players such as: Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Anna Ivanovic, Victoria Azarenka, Steffi Graff, Andre Agassi and Taylor Fritz just to name a few.
In 2015 Rozpedski was introduced to pickleball and instantly took to the sport and emerged as a force on the courts capturing numerous national singles titles including the 2015 USAPA Championship and Tournament of Champions crown. In 2016, the awards kept mounting. Defending his singles titles at the USAPA Nationals and Tournament of Champions, he also won in singles at the US Open and would win in doubles in 2017 at the Tournament of Champions. “As a former professional athlete, pickleball has given me an opportunity to compete at the highest level. As a testament to Rozpedski’s determination to give 100% to everything he does, during a three-year stretch from 2015-2018, Rozpedski’s singles record was a remarkable 74-2. As a former European player, Rozpedski was overjoyed when the Bainbridge Cup, the international competition featuring teams from North America and Europe was established in 2017. Rozpedski was honored when named the captain of the North American Team for the Cup.
Though being a competitive athlete has been the pinnacle of his professional career, Rozpedski’s proudest accomplishment is standing beside his wife, raising 3 young men that will walk through life with integrity, strong work ethics and kindness. Knowing that they will leave a positive mark on this world whether big or small.
My Story:
Kalin started playing tennis as a second sport when he was 5 years old. At 16 he was the youngest professional volleyball player in Bulgaria. He studied at the Sports Universities of Sofia and Cologne(Germany). He has a bachelor’s degree in physical education and tennis coaching and participated in a Master’s degree program in high sports performance in tennis. Kalin also holds a Master’s degree in Traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture as well as licenses in massage therapy and neuromuscular therapy. Kalin is a lifelong student and practitioner of yoga and Ayurvedic medicine. He has lived and studied yoga in an ashram in India and studied Ayurveda in Tilak Ayurvedic College in Pune, India.
Professional Background:
- youngest professional volleyball player in Bulgaria
- Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Tennis Coaching from Sports University of Sofia and Cologne (Germany)
- Master’s degree program in High Sports Performance in Tennis.
- Masters degree in Traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture as well as licenses in massage therapy and neuromuscular therapy.
My Story:
Originally from Great Britain, Samuel came to Florida to train as a player on the ATP Pro Circuit. While being based in Bradenton, Florida, he has trained internationally with top 50 ATP & WTA players. As a result of his time on tour, Samuel achieved an ATP world ranking in singles. He has since become a USPTA Certified Tennis Professional with a passion for coaching today & tomorrow’s generation of tennis athletes. During his career as a coach, Samuel has worked with developing players who are competing on the tour, aspiring to become collegiate athletes, and who are developing their foundations in the sport.
Professional Background:
- Trained internationally with top 50 ATP & WTA players.
- Achieved an ATP world ranking in singles.
- USPTA Certified Tennis Professional
My Story:
I came to IA because it combines two things that I am very passionate about, strength training and leading others toward Jesus. I came to faith in college where I got involved with Athletes in Action, a sports ministry. My wife Natalie and I were heavily involved in the AIA ministry though out our time at Hendrix and then we joined part time field staff for AIA for 2 years at Arkansas Tech.
Professional Background:
- Bachelors degree in Kinesiology and Education from Hendrix College
- Masters in Science in Strength and Conditioning from Arkansas Tech University
- Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) by the National Strength and Conditioning Association
- Certified by United States Weightlifting Level 1 (USAW)
- NCSA Strength of America Award 2020-2023
- At Arkansas Tech University he served as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the baseball, cheer, and dance teams from 2016 to 2018, assisted with football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and golf.
