Since moving to the United States in 2015, Matt Kirkham has held a variety of coaching positions at clubs and resorts across the Cliff Drysdale Tennis portfolio. Keep reading to learn more about his experience and advice for fellow teaching professionals below!
How did you originally start your career in coaching?
I started coaching in 2008 as a volunteer at a local sports center in Birmingham, UK in return for free membership of the facility. I helped and assisted with running the red/orange/green and yellow ball sessions at the time. I enjoyed the time on the court helping with the junior classes and wanted to progress further into the tennis coaching world, so from there I did my level 1+2 coaching qualifications and had a couple of part-time positions coaching in local clubs before finding a more full-time role. After teaching full-time for 5 years one of my good friends, Cal Loveridge, who has working at a TENCO facility in Texas at the time as a Director of Racquets, came back to the UK. He told me all about the great locations that TENCO coached at and how he was enjoying his time. He encouraged me to get TENCO certified and apply for a position.
What locations have you worked at since starting coaching in the US?
My first US location was at Bluewater Bay Tennis Center in a little town in the Florida panhandle called Niceville. I spent 3.5 years here as the Junior Program Director before moving on to my first resort position at Chateau Elan Winery & Resort in Braselton, Georgia. I spent 2.5 years as the Director of Racquets and gained valuable experience in the resort side of the business. Following my time at Chateau Elan, I recently moved locations to the Hawks Cay Resort in Duck Key, Florida which is in the tropical paradise of the Florida Keys!
What does your current day-to-day routine look like as a Director of Racquets?
My day-to-day routine can vary depending on the week/day/time of year etc. But as a rough outline firstly in the morning I will do a check of the facility and make sure the courts are groomed before any guests get to the courts. After this, we hold regular tennis and pickleball clinics so I will be out on the court teaching these clinics and also private lessons. When not on the courts, I will take care of any administrative work that needs to be done such as making phone calls or following up on emails, making sure everything is in order to keep the programs growing! Also, a new part of my routine which I have had to add since moving down to the Keys is chasing the odd Iguana off the court every now and again. Not something I had expected to be doing, but quite amusing!
What has been your favorite event or program to teach?
I love teaching camps and events. Some of my favorites have been the Tennis & Wine Weekends, Pickleball & Wine Weekends and Doubles Boot Camps. The reason I like these events is we get to teach tennis at some of our amazing locations, get to meet people and players from all over the country and give them a great on-court experience, while also meeting some other amazing TENCO staff members!
What can players expect from your clinics given your British coaching background?
Strategy-wise, I love teaching the proper serve and volley. In my opinion, this is a highly under-taught tactic in the US. In addition, slicing is a huge component of my own game that I enjoy teaching so I will often include slice tips during the warm-up drills so players can incorporate it into the rest of the clinic. And of course, no session would be complete without a round or two of no-bounce doubles!
What advice would you give those considering coaching in the US?
For those considering a move to teach in the US I would definitely recommend doing it. For me, it was the best decision I ever made in terms of my career. I gained so much knowledge on and off the court, met some of the best people from all around the world, and had the chance to travel to a variety of our locations. Also, outside of work I have enjoyed visiting different places and learning/experiencing different American cultures. So the advice I would give would be to 100% give it a go if you want to learn about the racquet sports industry from some of the best in the business!
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