Paul Tornquist
Head Pro
Paul Tornquist has been Head Pro at WVTC since 2012. Paul has over 25 years of coaching experience at various locations including the North Shore Winter Club, the Tennis Academy in Delray Beach, Florida, the Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club and the Peter Burwash International Tennis Management Company. He served as Tennis Director at private clubs and resorts in Singapore, the West Indies, the British Virgin Islands, New York and Florida, the Trivandrum Tennis Club in India and the Martin Verkerk Tennis & Events in Holland. Paul has competed in the ITF Satellite Tournaments in Europe. He is also a certified yoga instructor. Most importantly, Paul has a passion and enthusiasm for the game of tennis which he shares with every player he coaches and every organization he has been involved with.
Ai Carrie
High Performance Coach
Holding a number of coaching certificates and winner of many awards, Ai brings a wealth of experience to our Club. She was raised and educated in Japan, moving to Canada in 2016. Ai enjoys coaching students of all ages. She teaches proper service, forehand and backhand techniques to give students a variety of shots and styles, and works on adjustments to improve consistency, speed and power. She is also well versed in the aspects of nutrition and exercise to assist with stamina and fitness. Tennis offers Ai enormous joy and fulfillment and she is determined to give that back through coaching. Her goal is to make learning fun, and for her love of tennis to spill over onto her students. When not on the court, she enjoys family time, cooking, traveling and winter sports.
Diego Bedoya
Development Coach
Diego is very excited to be a part of the West Vancouver coaching team. He looks forward to helping you reach your tennis goals and have some fun. Diego has been teaching in the Lower Mainland for about 15 years. His first job was at the Hollyburn Country Club, and he has also worked the Vancouver Lawn Tennis Club and the Richmond Tennis Club. During the summers, he runs the programs at the New Westminster Tennis Club. Tennis is his passion and he still likes to compete as long as his body lets him!
Mark Sun
Development Coach
Mark Sun is a Tennis Canada Certified Instructor with experience in coaching both kids and adults. Mark likes to coach basic and advanced tennis principles and loves to explain why certain techniques work, and when and where to apply them. He understands the biomechanics of tennis strokes and uses innovative approaches to teach them. His specialty is developing advanced doubles strategies for the senior club player. Mark is also a Tennis Canada Official, officiating professionals at Rogers Cup since 2011, working Davis Cup and ATP/WTA matches as well as refereeing tournaments and chairing matches at many Vancouver amateur and junior events. He helps run the North Shore Community Tennis Association (NSCTA), is a Tennis BC League Director and is captain to his Murdo Force men’s team. Mark enthusiastically shares his tennis knowledge because playing tennis adds lifelong friends and years of enjoyment to your life!
Michele Venetz
Development Coach
Michele Venetz loves tennis and is an eternal student of the game. She has been coaching, and teaching, for over 20 years in Hawaii, New York, and BC. She has a Masters degree in English Education from Columbia University. Michele played NCAA tennis at Hawaii Pacific University, where she earned a scholarship and was awarded All-American Scholar Athlete. She played USTA league tennis, frequently making it to the playoffs with her team. She was a finalist in many tournaments before injury turned her focus to coaching. Michele was the Junior Pro for over 10 years at Sunshine Hills Tennis Club, as well as for the City of Delta. She helped develop players and started a Junior Tennis League to give kids a chance to gain match experience and build friendships. She also loves to teach adults and help them learn the game, or fine-tune their skills. Michele works hard to help others gain confidence in all aspects of the game, concentrating on mechanical, tactical, and mental strategies to improve competitive or recreational play. She loves to see people discover the same joy in the game that she has found.
Caglar Sarihan
Development Coach
Caglar Sarihan recently moved to Vancouver with his wife and twin sons. He holds a 3rd level tennis coaching certificate from the Turkish Tennis Federation. He has a life-long passion for tennis and education.
Gregg Eschelmuller
Development Coach
Gregg Eschelmuller has been teaching tennis at the WVTC since 2016. He has completed his undergraduate degree in kinesiology and health sciences, and is currently a Master of Science student at the University of British Columbia. His research focuses on how the nervous system controls human movement. He is a certified Tennis Canada coach and registered Kinesiologist with the British Columbia Association of Kinesiologists. He has a passion for tennis and fitness, and has experience working with athletes of all levels.
Allan Chu
Development Coach
Allan has been Canada Certified Club Coach 1 since 1980 and has been maintaining his coaching skills with international and national coaching workshops. Allan has knack for spotting inefficiencies in stroke mechanics and can teach students how to correct them in a fun and memorable way. He is also highly analytical and can explain the different playing styles that would suit the individual’s strength leading to better performance. Allan’s goals include making group lessons fun and informative for all ages: “I want to make tennis a sport of a lifetime”. He has taught in the Metro Vancouver Schools PE program through Tennis XL Inc, NVRC summer camps, as well as through the WVRC. In addition to coaching, Allan is immersed in tennis through his club memberships, league team co-ordination and participation, and involvement in an official capacity at major events. He has a vested interest in making tennis instruction at WVTC a quality and fun learning experience for all.
Jan Kołodziejski
Development Coach
Jan Kołodziejski is a tennis instructor from Warsaw, Poland. He was a junior professional tennis player, representing WTS DeSki Club in multiple national tournaments. Due to many injuries he decided to turn his focus to coaching. His experience as a player had a great influence on his tennis instructor career. He is able to use his skills and training to coach others and help new aspiring tennis players perfect their game. During his 12 years of coaching, he has had the opportunity to teach preschoolers, youngsters, adults and junior competitive tennis players. Jan has an electrical power engineering degree and for 5 years while studying, he represented Warsaw University of Technology in Academic Tournaments. He is passionate about tennis, always trying to inspire his students by making tennis training interesting and fun.