Meet The Team

Ben has been a tennis coach and event organiser for over 25 years and currently runs Parkside Tennis Academy. In that time, Ben has coached some of Canberra's leading players as well as well as establishing Parkside Tennis at the Queanbeyan Park Tennis Club which has won best club in Australia.  

 

Ben has been a Pickleball convert since first playing the game. Since then he has been  has done workshops with some of the leading players and coaches in the game including Mitch Hargreaves (Aus no 1 singles player) Rick Waitzkin (48 career medals) and Bill Riddle (award winning US college coach and Pickleball convert)

 

Ben enjoys the game so much - he has installed a Pickleball court in his backyard. Now he just needs some more time to play!

 

As a coach, Ben's interest is in finding creative ways to unlock his players potential. His lessons are fun engaging and he has built up a loyal group of players.

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Fun Fact - Ben once coached for 24 hours straight  for a charity before running a Cardio session with Nick Kygrios.

Andrew has a keen tennis background having played the game for a number of years as one of the top ACT juniors.

 

He started playing Pickleball in 2023 and has never looked back, clocking up many kilometres in the car as he travels to compete in tournaments against the best players in his age group. 

 

He has had success in these competitions winning Gold and Silver medals at the 2023 National Pickleball Championships in Sydney and more recently medals at the Spirt Tournament, Menai, Sydney.

 

Andrew is currently coaching the successful "Skills and Drills" session at the Pickledome with Lee and recently attended a workshop with Mitch Hargreaves. 

 

Andrew has also had a career as a school teacher and leader and loves helping players to get the best out of themselves.

 

Fun Fact - Andrew loves the beach and place by Maroubra Beach in Sydney.​

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Lee is a highly skilled Pickleball player who started playing the game in early 2023. He is renowned for his quick hands and skilled net play, which allow him to dominate his opponents. As a coach, Lee is known for his sharp eye and ability to identify areas where players need to improve.

 

Recently, Lee has started participating in national tournaments, showing his passion for improving his skills on the court and his interest in coaching at a higher level. At the Pickledome, Lee coaches the popular 'skills and drills' session, where players appreciate his direct, supportive, and efficient coaching style.

 

Furthermore, Lee attended a retreat with Mitch Hargreaves, the number one singles player in Australia. During the retreat, he gained valuable insight into the latest coaching techniques and advanced Pickleball strategies.

 

Fun Fact - Lee's nickname 'Leethal' comes from his achievement as a junior cricket player when he bowled out six players in six consecutive balls at a national level. The Guinness Book of Records recorded this achievement. 

Thach and Ben met playing pickleball at a social event and where they found out that they shared a similar sporting upbringing and a new love for Pickleball. Thach is a keen student of the game and enjoys spending his spare time watching and learning from all players at a social and competitive level. 

 

Thach was instrumental in the development and organisation of the Canberra Pickleball League and is one of the most respected players in the local region.

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Thach grew up playing racquet sports and has played: tennis, badminton, squash and table tennis at a representative level.  This allows Thach to bring together a wide range of skills to pickleball.

 

Fun Fact: Thach is also a keen runner who has completed 10 ultramarathons and is a qualified running coach​​

Tiana, also goes by 'T', began playing pickleball on the Gold Coast mid-2023. Growing up, Tiana has always played sports involving hand-eye coordination, particularly basketball and netball, representing Queanbeyan at regional levels. Tiana diverted her focus to pickleball by watching American content creators play the sport as a form of physical activity and now she just can't get enough!

 

Tiana is fun and approachable and has coaching experience locally and internationally, spanning out to Canada. 

 

Fun fact: Tiana owns two sausage dogs and loves to travel.