I began my tennis journey as a teenager in my hometown of Southbury, Connecticut. When I moved to Southern California, I pursued tennis as my primary sports interest. Within two years of dedicating myself to tennis, I started in both singles and doubles for Palomar College (in San Diego) for two years and then I earned a position as a walk-on for San Diego State University in 1983 (ranked 25th, NCAA-Div. 1). Throughout my developmental years, I consistently surprised my friends and piers with my rapid development, and was widely regarded as the player who developed into a high-level player in a remarkably short time.

Following my college-playing career I continued to play tournaments, both locally and regionally for many years. Teaching tennis has always come naturally to me, partly I believe because I learned the game at an older age than many successful juniors. I began teaching tennis at the age of 19 when I conducted junior lessons for the City of Escondido, CA. I was appointed the Club Tennis Pro for the Courtyard in Escondido at the age of 20. I was also a Tennis Pro at the Rancho Bernardo Inn Tennis College, a recipient of the “America’s 50 Greatest Tennis Resorts” award for over 20 consecutive years by Tennis Magazine.

In 1986, I was appointed the Director of Tennis at the legendary John Wayne Tennis Club in Newport Beach, California. Newport Beach was a hotbed of great tennis players at that time. I met, played with and/or learned from many notable members and guests including Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Phil Dent, Ross Case, Billy Jean King, Andre Agassi, Kevin Curren and Vitas Gerulaitis. At the John Wayne Tennis Club I developed and managed the instructional, competitive and social programs for a large, active and highly competitive membership. Following the John Wayne Tennis Club I was the Resident Tennis Pro at the Four Seasons Resort & Hotel in Newport Beach for 5 years.

I am also an “Elite Professional” with USPTA, which is the highest rating achievable by the world’s most respected organization for Tennis Professionals. I graduated from San Diego State University with Bachelor’s Degree in Business with an emphasis on Marketing. Here is a summary of my long and successful career in tennis:

  • Forty-five years of teaching & coaching tennis to all ages, from beginners through advanced players.
  • Twenty-seven years of experience in all phases of management, marketing, instructional and activity programs at 5 tennis clubs and 2 tennis resorts.
  • Twelve years of experience directing tournaments including large, high profile events with multiple venues, divisions, volunteers and related staff
  • Four years of inter-collegiate competition in both singles and doubles
  • Competed in 5.5 and open level tournaments through Southern California, in both singles and doubles, from 1978-2000

Tennis has been my passion for so many years… I have truly been blessed with many great opportunities, made many wonderful friends, and have enjoyed growing the game by helping hundreds of students develop lifelong skills. I am pleased to expand my program online, and hope you will benefit from being a part of Performance Plus! To Your Tennis Success!  John 

Join the Performance Plus Community and take advantage of my unique approach to developing your tennis skills!