MEET THE TEAM

Ben has been a tennis coach for over 25 years and is also the head coach at 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 recently won best club in Australia.  

 

Ben has been a Pickleball convert since first playing the game. Since then he has completed 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 coach)

 

Ben has won silver medals at the Australian Pickleball Championships and the ACT Pickleball Championships.

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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.

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 runs the popular 'tournament practice' session. 

 

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. 

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Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Donald (Don) Dupasquier, moved to Australia in 2015.

 

Don started as an avid badminton player, and began his  Pickleball career in 2021 when he learnt about it at his mom’s club in Canada. Since then he has been addicted to the game and enhances his skills by playing 4-5 times per week. Don has competed at many regional and National tournaments and has podiumed on several occasions. He is keen to compete at many more in 2025.

 

Don has a passion for the game and thoroughly enjoys assisting players develop their skills and tactics.

 

 

As a junior badminton player, Don played on Canada’s National Badminton team. Competing around the world, one of his most memorable tournaments was winning a silver "ULU medal" in Greenland at the Arctic Winter Games. An Ulu is a traditional Inuit hunting all purpose knife.

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Fun Fact - Don was selected to represent the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and compete for Canada's team at the 2011 World Police Fire Games in New York, USA. 

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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.

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Thach's analytical mind is also an asset as a coach as he is able to deconstruct a player game and understand their strengths and weaknesses. 

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Thach has recently won a bronze medal in the Open Division at the ACT Championships.

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

Terrie is returning home from the USA where she started her pickleball journey in October 2022. Having now settled in Canberra she is keen to share her knowledge and skills which have seen her progress to playing at the senior pro level.

 

Terrie is a 2 time US National champion, Hawaiian state champion and has amassed 26 podium finishes on the APP, PPA and USA pickleball circuits and finished 2024 as the #7 ranked female senior pro for singles in the US.

 

Having played with and against some of the best players in the world Terrie has an intimate understanding of what it takes to be an elite pickleball player. Her forte is helping you identify your opponents weaknesses, their patterns and how you can develop the skill set to capitalise on exposing those in your match play.

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