The Courtside coach education team

Responsible for delivery process and coach education. Former national tennis lead for GLL, UK’s largest leisure trust, overseeing all workforce, content and delivery​. Level 5 Master Performance Coach, tutor & course designer for LTA qualifications (Level 3-5)​. Strong man management and team-building skills​.

Mel is the Courtsides Coach education manager and has been working in coach education for over 10 years now setting up and running all relevant LTA qualifications and courses pasted and present. Mel’s background is in publishing and advertising having worked for large magazine publishing houses for many years only leaving to have children. She has also worked as an artist having been employed in galleries working to exhibit other artists and as an exhibiting artist herself. Mel has two tennis playing children who have come through performance programmes with one playing county and University tennis and one playing club tennis.

Chris is a L5 LTA accredited coach and has been coaching full time since 1980. He is also an LTA tutor for LTA Assistant L1, LTA Instructor L2 and LTA Coach Professional Development courses. Chris is an External Quality Assurance assessor for the LTA Safeguarding and Protection in Tennis and Padel course and one of only three LTA safeguarding mentors. He also delivers the LTA teacher training courses for both primary and secondary school staff. Chris has written a safeguarding course specifically for 13–15-year-olds and is working with the LTA performance team to visit all LTA Performance development centre across the country to make sure they understand safeguarding in their environments. Chris has the Catalyst 14 mentoring diploma and is head coach at Godstowe school. Chris also played county tennis for Cheshire.

Nick is an LTA tutor across both tennis and padel and tutors LTA Assistant L1, LTA tennis and Padel Instructor L2 and LTA Coach L3 and the soon to be released LTA Padel L3. He is also an LTA assessor for readiness test and assessment. Nick has been commissioned by the LTA to write national coaching qualifications in both sports and was chosen to lead the LTA Director of Tennis Level 5 qualification. In padel, Nick has written and delivered tutor training for LTA Padel Tutors and was formerly Head of Coach Education for The Padel School, where he worked with players and coaches. Alongside his coach education work, he has developed and led large-scale coaching programmes, mentored coaches at all stages of their careers, and represented Wales as a padel player.

Patrick is an LTA level 4 tennis coach and has been coaching for over 25 years. He has coached and mentored all levels of players and runs a successful centre and coaching programme near Bath. He is an LTA Tutor for LTA Assistant L1 and LTA Instructor L2 in both tennis and padel and delivers LTA Coach Professional Development courses. He is also an LTA Youth Schools Tutor, LTA Youth content developer and LTA Assessor for both readiness tests and assessments.

Lorraine is an LTA Level 5 Performance Coach (PCA) and a coach Education Master Tutor. Se has been tutored on all levels since 1998 and for Courtside for over 15 years. Lorraine currently tutors LTA Assistant L1, LTA Instructor L2 and LTA Coach L3. She is an LTA Assessor for LTA Readiness Tests and Summative Assessments at all levels. Lorraine is an LTA External Quality Assurance Assessor and Courtside’s Internal quality assurance assessor. She has been a Head Coach at two prestigious clubs in Gloucestershire over the last 35 years. She is currently coaching at Painswick LTC and Cheltenham Ladies College.

Vicki is an LTA L 5 tennis coach and an LTA tutor delivering LTA Assistant L1, LTA Instructor L2 and LTA Coach Professional Development courses. She currently coaches at East Glos Club in Cheltenham and at Dean Close School. She has been coaching tennis for over 30 years in schools and clubs in Southern England.