About
Hi my name is Werner, but you can call me Max. I was born and raised in South Africa where I had high performance tennis lessons from age 6 through 14. I'm a USPTA certified professional and I've been coaching for the last 4 years. I currently still love to compete and play USTA and local tournaments. My love for the sport is what drives me to coach and it's extremely rewarding to see the joy that tennis brings to my students. I went to school for architecture/engineering and have developed a keen eye towards detail which comes in very handy for tweaking and improving my students' games.
Hopefully I'll see you out on the courts soon! :)
Highlights
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Experience level
Student age(s)
Reviews
Kathleen H.
Molly M.
Chloe M.
Frequently asked questions
What is your typical process for working with a new student?
When I meet with a student I first work to understand their goals they'd like to achieve. Next steps would be to review and evaluate their performance/ability and create a customizable lesson plan based off of that. In initial sessions, I spend time to identify opportunities to succeed, personality, scheduling and communication style of each client. This will help me tailor my support to fit their needs.
What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
USPTA certified Pro
Completed tennis mentoring
Trained and up to date with Youth Tennis
20+ years of playing tennis and still actively competing
Professional coach for 3 years
Do you have a standard pricing system for your lessons? If so, please share the details here.
Pricing system will be customized offering based on lessons offered
How did you get started teaching?
The first person I started teaching was actually my mom. She's the reason why I got into Tennis. She is an avid lover of the game. She helped me realize my passion for coaching and inspiring others to reach their full potential. I coach and teach because I love sharing the joy and passion that the game of Tennis always brought to me growing up. I recently moved to Seattle last year to gain experience coaching and looking to expand my offerings within the tennis community.
What types of students have you worked with?
I have professionally worked with a diverse group of students ranging from all ages and skill levels.
Describe a recent event you are fond of.
Coaching has been the best time of my life. My favorite thing is to watch everything click after working with a student on their goals. Recently I had a student focus too much on winning that they forgot their love for the game. She spent so much time critisizing herself that she forgot how far she has come following lessons with me. I went out to do a test match with her and was able to pin point moments where I felt she was over playing and focusing too much on winning. I did an exercise with her and spent time reviewing all the reasons she loved the game. Her face lit up and I helped her realize that tennis isn't just a game, but instead a whole community and support system for her. That night, I attended her match with her to review performance and she absolutely crushed it on the court. Instead of trying to win, she just truly enjoyed the game and from there the power came out.
What advice would you give a student looking to hire a teacher in your area of expertise?
Be open to a new perspective, dont be afraid of change. Remeber that to be good at tennis is to enjoy the game, have fun with it whie you learn.
What questions should students think through before talking to teachers about their needs?
What goals do I have for tennis?
Where do I see myself short, mid and long term?
Where do I struggle performance wise?
What focus do I have for my training?
How do I currently train?
Do I plan on competing in matches/tournaments or playing for fun?
Do I want to learn more about becoming an instructor?