Brett Plant - Coaching Director
Russell Kelly - Senior Coach
Darren Parker - Senior Coach
Gavin Norris - Assistant Coach
Brett Plant
MEMBER OF T.C.A.Q
* Played professionally in Australia, Europe, and U.S.A * Qld open state ranking - top 10. * A.T.P Satellites - played 15 - 20 over a six year period. N.S.W., Qld, Vic. * Qualifies in A.T.P. challenger tournaments. Merrekesh, nth Africa. * State open age Qld - ranking. u /14, u /16, u / 18, top 10 - 15. * $250 000.00 Brisbane A.T.P. indoor qualifying. * Open French ranking, - 2 /6. category 1. * Personally coached by Harry Hopman at Bardmoor, U.S.A. * Travelled A.T.P. tour with B.P. achievers squad. coach. Bob Carmichael. John Frawley , Darren Cahill, Mark Woodford, Peter McNamarra. * Fully qualified level two coach. T.P.A. * Attended and passed players test for level three coach. T.P.A. * Leased Albany Creek Tennis Centre. 300 students per week. groups and privates for ten years. * Manager of Qld u / 16 girls state team, nationals and lead-in. * Coached - Arthi Vanketessen, Jamie Barr, Amy Jensen. players ranging from number 1 national juniors through to world junior ranking of 7. W.T.A. and A.T.P. tour standard. * 2002 - Accepted coaching position at Hopmans / Saddlebrook Tennis Academy in the U.S.A. Working with International juniors / A.T.P. tour players and adult resort coaching.
Russell Kelly
Russell is a level 2 coach with over 25 years coaching experience. He owned his own tennis centre in Petrie for 11 years. In this period the centre became an approved McDonalds training centre and had several squads training. Russell was involved in developing a separate club within the centre to take young people away to tournaments to further their development. This Club had about 30 members who were taken away every two weeks and all were ranked in the State in their age categories. Some of these people are still overseas either playing or coaching in Europe.
He also coached hundreds of other children at this centre and all reached fixture standard and many are still playing to-day. For Russell, it is just as important seeing them develop into good people who made lifelong friends through this sport as it is to see them develop as good tennis players.
Russell personally still enjoys fixture play and participation in veterans’ tournaments when time allows.
Darren Parker
Darren is a level 2 coach with over 10 years coaching experience. He began his tennis career young, teaching himself the basics young in a small New Zealand town with 2 tennis courts. At the age of 12 Darren migrated to Australia were he began to train and play local fixtures in the Pine Rivers Shire. He was included in the McDonalds squad training program where he played the juniors circuit within Brisbane, As a strange occurrence he was taught by Russell Kelly the other senior coach, they both travelled the state playing junior events with good results including some doubles titles.
Later in his career Darren stumbled into the Albany Creek Tennis Centre where he first met Brett Plant (director of coaching). From then on Brett continued to work on Darren’s tennis and Darren continued to play Queensland open tournaments.
While Darren trained he also completed his level 1 and level 2 qualifications with TPAQ, being awarded his level 2 in 1999.
Darren has the experience of working with groups of children from beginners level through to open level players. He is available for private lessons and works in conjunction with Brett and Russell developing the students into tennis players.
Gavin Norris
Gavin has been a regular tournament and fixture player. He has been professionally coached and trained from the age of 10 in N.S.W. and Qld. Gavin is currently assisting Brett, head professional in all coaching programs.