Meet our fabulous team of coaches from Sparta Tennis Academy!

Head Coach: Dwayne Cleugh

Country of origin: New Zealand 

Years coaching: Coaching for 20 years now! Sparta began 9 years ago and I’ve been here since the start.

Qualifications: Professional Tennis Registry Certified Pro, ITF Level 2, Academy Sanchez-Casal Certified Professional Instructor

What I love about coaching tennis: I find it enjoyable and satisfying to watch young athletes develop into the best players and competitors they can be. The relationship side of coaching and the extended family feel at CPTC is also highly rewarding.

Coach: Aaron Hicks

Country of origin: New Zealand

Years coaching: 14 years total, 8 years full time + 1 year at Sparta

Qualifications: ITF Level 1 JDC, Bachelor of Physical Education major in Exercise and Sport Science, Graduate Diploma in Applied Science, Physical Conditioning

What I love about coaching tennis: I love helping players to achieve their goals but also see them grow in confidence and learn new skills

Coach: Casyn Buchman

Country of origin: USA

Years coaching: Too many to count! 8 years with Sparta

Qualifications: JDC Level 1 ITF Coach, Bachelor's Kinesiology - Exercise Physiology

What I love about coaching tennis: Keeps me active and outdoors, working with and developing the athletic abilities of kids and adults, seeing their game grow

Coach: Carlos Reid

Country of origin: New Zealand 

Years coaching: 12 years, 4 with Sparta

Qualifications: Professional Tennis Registry Certification, Bachelor’s Degree in Law (LLB) and Commerce (BCom), Admission to the Bar 2022. Current member of the New Zealand Bar Association (NZBA)

What I love about coaching tennis: It is a very rewarding job.  I love being in the outdoors and helping people achieve their goals

Coach: Finn Hudson

Country of origin: UK 

Years coaching: I’ve been coaching for 5 years and have been with Sparta for the last 6 months

Qualifications: RPT National Professional - European registry of tennis professionals

What I love about coaching tennis: It’s a very rewarding job, watching players of all ages and abilities picking up a racket and having fun whilst also becoming a better tennis player

Coach: Grace Chen

Country of origin: China 

Years coaching: I have been coaching for about 14 years, and with Sparta for 5 years

Qualifications: JDC level 1 

What I love about coaching tennis: I love sharing my experience on court or off court, as I grew up with tennis almost every day in my life.  I find it enjoyable and rewarding coaching people of all ages

Coach: Jacob Verhoeven

Country of origin: New Zealand 

Years coaching: I’ve been coaching for 8 years and have been with Sparta for the last 2

Qualifications: JDC Level 1 ITF Coach, Professional Tennis Registry Certification

What I love about coaching tennis: It combines my passion for the game with the joy of helping others improve.  Watching players develop their skills, overcome challenges, and grow in confidence is incredibly rewarding

Coach: Junior Fanguna

Junior first joined us assisting with squads and as a hitting partner for several of our top players.

Since then, he has focused on his development as a coach.  Junior now coaches a wide range of players from beginners to nationally ranked juniors, as well taking adult classes.

Coach: Renee Tsai

Country of origin: New Zealand

Years coaching: I’ve been coaching for 6 years and have been with Sparta for one

Qualifications: Professional coach, Tennis Association of the Republic of China, Bachelor of Physical Education majoring in Physical Education and Tennis Training

What I love about coaching tennis: I love tennis.  It’s very meaningful to be able to do what I love and help others

Coach: Ryan Eggers

Country of origin: New Zealand 

Years coaching: I have been coaching tennis since 2015 and joined Campbell Park and Sparta Tennis in April 2019

Qualifications: ITF Level 1 JDC, Diploma in Applied Sport and Exercise Leadership

What I love about coaching tennis: It gives me a chance to share my passion of tennis and each new session brings new challenges for players to conquer

Coach: Tina Tsai

Country of origin: New Zealand 

Years coaching: 7 years, 1 with Sparta

Qualifications: ITF Level 1 JDC, Sport and Recreation Certificate

What I love about coaching tennis: I love seeing both children and adults experiencing the joy of playing tennis and reaching their potential