About Us
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Mark TennantMark has over 20 years experience coaching in clubs and tennis centres. He has tutored over 80 qualification courses for the LTA. More recently, Mark has been heavily involved in the development and launch of the ITF Tennis…Play and Stay campaign, and with Richard Marklow has created their new company, inspire2coach.Mark is a regular speaker at conferences worldwide, and has presented in many different parts of Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle East. In addition, he has offered his consultancy services to several clubs and federations, assisting in the design and development of coaching and coach education programmes.
He is married to Emma, with a son called Joel, and is a long-suffering Spurs fan!
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Richard MarklowRichard has over 20 years coaching experience and is the leading Cardio Tennis trainer in the UK. In 2007 he and Mark Tennant launched inspire2coach.He has tutored for the LTA for many years, and was the Racquets Manager at the Warwickshire Rackets and Health Club in Coventry.
Richard has presented at many national conferences and workshops, and in 2008 was nominated Warwickshire Coach of the Year.
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Penny GarbuttSouth African-born Penny has coached in the UK for the past 20 years and is a Senior Club Coach. In 2008 her coaching company PennTenn limited was taken over by inspire2coach and Penny became Company Secretary.Penny manages the programme at the University of Warwick Tennis Centre for inspire2coach. She also tutors for inspire2coach and the LTA.
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Richard AllenRichard started playing tennis at 11 years old. He started his career at Blossomfield LTC and continued coaching at Oxford Brookes University. After university he took on a full time coaching role at both Blossomfield and Warwick Boat Club and later joined sports marketing firm Dinamica Marketforce, to run the national Babolat account. He left this position to take up a Head Coach position at Beechwood LTC where spent a successful few years.Rich is now external Head Coach at inspire2coach where he manages the large networks of clubs, schools, parks and coaches.
Outside of tennis, Richard is a keen sportsman and Aston Villa fan. His partner Sarah is a successful actress and mother of two smashing little boys, Jacob and Noah.
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Hollie SharmanHollie joined inspire2coach in June 2009 as administrator and coach. Hollie manages the hoilday camp programme and coaches at Beechwood and Alcester LTCs. She has been coaching for several years, beginning her experience at Kenilworth LTC.In 2007 she graduated in Sports Development and Psychology at the University of Gloucestershire. Whilst at University she passed her DCA at Pershore TC, whilst also coaching for Cheltenham Ladies College, Stroud & other locations around the county.
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Joe HaganJoe is inspire2coach's Coach Education Manager. She was Tennis Development Officer at the Wirral Sports and Tennis Centre and has been tutoring for the LTA since 1997. She continues to tutor alongside the LTA alongside her role with inspire2coach and also works and an Internal Verifier and as a Level 3 Assessor in Training and Development.Until 2005 Joe ran her own coaching business. She still manages to find the time to indulge in her hobbies, walking (her 2 dogs!), cycling and kayaking.
Joe is a mum with 2 grown up and married children and one grandson.
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Matt ThomasMatt began his coaching career at Blossomfield Tennis Club in 2001 before spending 4 years working at La Manga Club on the Pro Academy. In 2006 Matt became Head Coach at Leicester Forest East Tennis Club.As a player Matt has represented the Warwickshire Men’s Team, has 10 Warwickshire Junior Titles, represented the England Schools Team at Wimbledon and captained the University of Wales Institute Cardiff Men’s 1st Team in BUSA Nationals.
Matt has a BA Honours in Sport and PE.
He joined the inspire2Coach team as Head Coach at the University of Warwick Tennis Centre. Matt heads the Performance Programme at Warwick and is an accredited Cardio Tennis Tutor.
During 2008 Matt travelled around Europe and the US on the ITF Junior Tour and with players on the WTA Tour in Asia and the UK.
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John HalesBirmingham City fan John Hales is a CCA coach and has been coaching since 2001. He has played and coached in many countries around the world including France, Germany, Spain, the USA and Australia.John's tennis career highlight to date was being at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in Texas, USA. There he was taught by and worked with top former players such as Roy Emerson, John Newcombe, Mark Woodforde and Tony Roach (who later went on to teach Roger Federer).
John also guided Esporta's under 16's NJCL Team to the final of the National Club League, and joined inspire2coach in 2008 as Head Coach at the company’s War Memorial Park site in the centre of Coventry. John now does most of his coaching at the University of Warwick Tennis Centre.
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Collen MhlangaCollen is inspire2coach’s Head Coach at War Memorial Park in Coventry. He also coaches at the University of Warwick Tennis Centre and heads the Coventry University Tennis Team.Born in Zimbabwe, Collen was a member of their Junior National Touring Team, travelling to many countries around the world to compete in ITF junior events.
Collen’s tennis highlights have come in his matches representing Zim in Junior Davis Cup.
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Alex WoodbridgeAlex started playing at the age of 9 after moving from New Zealand. He soon started to excel and was recruited to the Hereford and Worcester county squad. At 13 he started to play Hereford and Worcester Mens Doubles League for his local club. Alex then joined Alcester Tennis Club working with Penny Harris, and shortly after started playing tennis for their A team playing a big part in helping them win the National Club League (county area).Alex is currently Mens Captain of Inkberrow Tennis Club Premier Division team and joined inspire2coach in 2008. Alex is an LTA licensed DCA.
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Gareth PriceGareth moved to Warwickshire at the age of 11 where he started playing tennis at Alcester Tennis Club. Whilst at college studying AVCE Sport and Leisure Management he completed his DCA, and started working full time alongside Penny Harris and Alex Woodbridge.Gareth now works at the inspire2coach family of clubs, mainly coaching mini tennis players at Alcester TC and Kings Norton TC. Gareth is inspire2coach’s Special Needs and Disabilities Coaching expert, having developed strong connections with local Special Needs schools where he coaches regularly.
He still enjoys playing, and competes regularly for Inkberrow and Alcester Tennis Clubs.
Away from tennis Gareth is a big football fan and plays twice a week. When he gets the chance he loves to watch his favourite team, Tranmere Rovers!
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Stuart BeachStu joined Alcester Tennis Club at the age of 10 and enjoyed playing tennis, so much that he decided to become a tennis coach. He attended Evesham College, completing a two year course in BTEC National Diploma in Sport.In September 2008 Stu was offered a job at inspire2coach where he works with Alex Woodbridge and Gareth Price at its family of clubs. Stu holds the new LTA Club Coach qualification.