DUPR rating Career high 5.537
TENNIS · PICKLEBALL · SOMATIC EDUCATION
Houston
Poem
Racket Sports Performance Specialist
Coaching Innovator & Somatic Movement Educator
The inner game and the outer one.
HOUSTON POEM / COACH & COMPETITOR16years of coaching
6,000+players coached & overseen
60+workshop hours across 10+ clubs
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
Learn.
Understand.
Connect.
I’m a tennis, pickleball, and life coach. My work brings together racket sports and a somatic approach to learning.
Over 16 years, I’ve coached and overseen more than 6,000 players, from beginners to nationally competitive athletes. I bring a close eye to each player’s on-court experience, helping them see the blind spots they need help with.
I developed MindBody Tennis and the ISCEA Coaching Standards to help players learn, understand, and connect. Body awareness, relationship, and the inner and outer game are central to how I coach.
Player developmentCoaching systemsSomatic educationPerformance & equipment feedback
A LITTLE ABOUT MY WORK
On court,
and beyond.
I have coached professionally for more than 16 years, including more than four years managing adult tennis at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC), a 30-court training facility. That meant working with players, supporting coaches, and developing programs — a chance to think about the whole learning environment, alongside the individual lesson.
With MindBody Tennis, I’ve brought my somatic approach into racket sports. It’s a way of working with body awareness, coordination, and adaptability, helping players understand and connect with what they’re learning.
That work also extends to how we teach. I developed the ISCEA Coaching Standards to bring learning environments, movement, tactical understanding, and coaching intelligence into one framework. The focus is on teaching coaches how to coach, with practice on court at the center.
Along the way, I’ve worked with top regional and national junior tennis competitors and coached Joseph Apodaca, former World #3 Senior Professional Pickleball Player.
STILL IN THE GAME
Coach.
Competitor.
I continue to train and compete in tennis and pickleball, exploring movement, pressure, and learning through my own practice.
Mixed rating
National
ranking.
National Men’s 30+ Tennis Singles.
WHAT I BRING TO THE COURT
A background
in movement.
My training brings together tennis and pickleball coaching with somatics, qigong, and yoga.
I’m a USPTA Certified Tennis Professional and a PCI Certified Pickleball Professional, with an Accredited Diploma in Body-Oriented Coaching from The Somatic School. I’m also a certified qigong and yoga teacher.
COMING SOONWhat the
What the
Game Asks.
Tennis, Pressure, and
The Work of Becoming
An inquiry into what happens when the inner game isn't enough, drawn from years of practice and exploration
START A CONVERSATION
Let’s connect.
Coaching innovation. Player development.
All Things Racket Sports