Michael Heaslip

Head Coach

Qualifications/Experience

• Professional Tennis Registry Instructor for 12 years.
• Head of Junior & Adult Development Helen’s Bay Tennis Club 2014-present.
• Head of Junior Development Helen’s Bay Tennis Club 2013.
• Assistant Coach at Bangor Tennis Academy 2008-2012.
• Trained and coached at John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, Texas 2010, 2014.
• Director of North Down Junior Championships 2009, 2010, 2011.
• Director of North Down Mini Tennis Series 2010, 2011.
• Assistant Tennis Coach Christians in Sport, Armagh Sports Plus Camp 2011.
• Head Tennis Coach Christians in Sport, Belfast Sports Plus Camp 2012.

I love tennis and get a real buzz from helping the young and ‘the little bit older’ develop their game whether they are picking up a racket for the first time or are a seasoned club player.

For the past 10 years I have been a Qualified Tennis Coach with the Professional Tennis Registry. Between 2008-2012 I held the role of Assistant Coach at Bangor Lawn Tennis Academy where I developed my coaching knowledge under the expert tutelage of my mentor Tim Blomley.

In 2010 and 2014, I had the opportunity to train and coach at the prestigious John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, Texas which has former World No.1 Lleyton Hewitt and current ATP players David Nalbandian, Li Na and Ryan Harrison on their impressive list of alumni. This fantastic opportunity helped me to develop my own game but also enabled me to access cutting edge tennis coaching techniques and practices and bring them back to Northern Ireland.

In 2013 I teamed up with Helen’s Bay Tennis Club as Head of Junior Development. This was an exciting opportunity to build on the strong foundations the club had in place.

The past six seasons have been fantastic for North Down Tennis Academy and Helen’s Bay Tennis Club. We will continue to build on the community nature of our programme developed over the years.

See you on the court!

Elizabeth Cardy

Development Coach

Qualifications/Experience

• Professional Tennis Registry Instructor for 8 years.
• Development Coach at Helen’s Bay 2014-present.
• Tennis Fundamentals Coach for 4 years.
  
• Christians in Sport Tennis Coach 2009-present.
  

I represented Ulster at junior level and won several Ulster singles and doubles titles along with four Ulster schools titles.

I played first team tennis (for three years at no. 3/4 singles and at no. 2 doubles) for the University of St Andrews and represented St Andrews at individual tournaments in England and Scotland. In 2010 I was awarded University Colours for tennis.

I have been PTR qualified for 8 years and coached throughout Northern Ireland with Tennis Fundamentals for 4 years.

Having been fortunate to have had such great coaching in Northern Ireland and in Scotland, I’m delighted to be able to give something back by coaching in Ulster. I am really enjoying coaching and getting to know the juniors at North Down Tennis Academy.