Our Staff
Get to know the PPR team below! We exist to serve our members and grow the sport of pickleball together.
Martin van Daalen
Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Martin van Daalen has been coaching for over 35 years. He currently serves as the Director of Programming at the Miami Beach Tennis Academy. After becoming a national coach and director of women’s tennis in Holland, he worked for a long period of time with top juniors and professional tennis players at Saddlebrook Resort in Florida, coaching Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Jennifer Capriati, Mary Pierce, and Jared Palmer. He worked as a national coach for the USTA for over 11 years, developing many top juniors, college players and professionals. Many of them are still playing on the ATP and WTA tour today. In 2013 and 2014 he worked as Director of Player Development for the Finnish Tennis Federation. He has published two books, Teaching Tennis Volume I & II.
Martin van Daalen
Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Martin van Daalen has been coaching for over 35 years. He currently serves as the Director of Programming at the Miami Beach Tennis Academy. After becoming a national coach and director of women’s tennis in Holland, he worked for a long period of time with top juniors and professional tennis players at Saddlebrook Resort in Florida, coaching Pete Sampras, Jim Courier, Jennifer Capriati, Mary Pierce, and Jared Palmer. He worked as a national coach for the USTA for over 11 years, developing many top juniors, college players and professionals. Many of them are still playing on the ATP and WTA tour today. In 2013 and 2014 he worked as Director of Player Development for the Finnish Tennis Federation. He has published two books, Teaching Tennis Volume I & II.
Our Talented Team
Sarah Ansboury
Sarah Ansboury
VP of Pickleball
Sarah Ansboury has made some of the most significant contributions to the sport of pickleball. Her journey as one of the first professional pickleball players, combined with her efforts to develop and grow the sport across the country, showcases her passion and dedication. Known as one of the top instructional coaches in the sport, Sarah continues to hone her own game, currently playing on the PPA Tour with her GAMMA Air Bender 10mm as a Team GAMMA sponsored Pro.
Sarah began with the Professional Pickleball Registry, (PPR) as the education consultant and clinician. At that time, her position as Director of Pickleball at Palmetto Dunes Resort on Hilton Head Island was instrumental in establishing the resort as one of the top pickleball destinations in the country.
Now, we are fortunate to have Sarah as the Managing Director of the PPR which has grown to 10,000 pickleball coaches in 14 countries. Sarah has been instrumental in launching the new Level 2 Certification as well as the enhanced Level 1 Certification. Working with the Italian Federation, among others, Sarah trains the first wave of International PPR Certified Pros to grow our sport globally.
You can learn from Sarah with her digital lessons and library at sarahansbourypickleballacademy.com where PPR members get a free subscription. Sarah Ansboury’s influence and footprint in the pickleball community are a testament to her skills both on and off the court.
Nicola Slater
Nicola Slater
Director of Development
Born and raised in Scotland, Nicola played collegiate tennis at Florida State University, where she held the No. 1 position in both singles and doubles with a national ranking of 12. She went on to compete professionally on the WTA Tour, achieving a career-high world ranking of No. 165 and earning the honor of competing at Wimbledon.
After retiring from professional tennis in 2015, Nicola rediscovered her competitive spirit through pickleball in the post-COVID era, a sport that reminded her of her early introduction to tennis through “short tennis.” She has since competed on both the PPA and APP tours. A lifelong coach, Nicola began teaching at the age of 15 and credits Judy Murray as a formative influence who instilled in her a lasting passion for the game.
Milena Vidos
Milena Vidos
VP
As Vice President of PTR, Milena Stephens leads the organization’s vision and strategy for education, coach development, and member engagement worldwide. A passionate advocate for female coaches, Milena spearheaded PTRW, a groundbreaking program created to recruit, certify, and empower women in coaching with the skills, tools, and networks to advance their careers.
Milena brings both professional expertise and a lifetime connection to the game. A PTR Certified Professional in every education pathway since 2011, she grew up on the courts of her parents’ club in Brazil and rose to the No. 1 junior ranking in her country. She earned a full athletic scholarship at Delta State University, where she completed her BA before going on to earn a Master’s degree in Sports Management. Her career has included leadership as Director of Tennis at Cleveland Country Club in Mississippi and coaching at Midtown Athletic Club in Florida, where she discovered a deep passion for working with young players.
With her mix of global experience, professional credentials, and dedication to inclusion, Milena continues to be a driving force in shaping the next generation of coaches and ensuring PTR leads the way in modern, accessible racquet-sport education.
Julie Jilly
Julie Jilly
Julie is responsible for coordinating special events, such as PTR WEEK, Spring TennisFest, Tennis Club Owners Conference and Professional Development Weekend. Julie also manages the many benefits available to PTR members. Julie is a member of HEAD’s Team Airflow.
With a passion for wheelchair tennis and Special Olympics, Julie annually serves as Tournament Director for both the PTR Wheelchair Tennis Championships and the Special Olympics Tennis Championships. In 2006, PTR received a National Award for Adaptive Tennis. In 2005, Julie received the USTA Community Service Award for the Southern Section and the Special Olympics South Carolina’s Super Hero Award. In 2004, she was recognized by RSI Magazine as the Wheelchair Tennis Champion of the Year. Julie is very active in the local community and teaches sports and fitness classes as her hobby. Julie has been with PTR since 1985, and has a B.S. in Public Relations from Florida State University.
Caitlyn Fries
Caitlyn Fries
Director of Marketing
As Director of Marketing for the Professional Tennis Registry, Caitlyn ensures the consistent look, feel, and messaging of all PTR graphics and communications. She leads the organization’s creative direction, driving growth in marketing initiatives and expanding PTR’s social media presence to engage members worldwide.
Caitlyn holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Northern Michigan University. With her creative expertise and strategic vision, she plays a key role in strengthening PTR’s brand identity and supporting its mission to educate, certify, and connect racquet sports coaches across the globe.
Paige Payne
Paige Payne
Director of Development
Paige Payne joined the staff at PTR in May 2012, after graduating with a degree in marketing from Ashland University, where she played on the tennis team.
Isaac McBroom
Isaac McBroom
Education Manager
Isaac McBroom has rejoined the PTR team as Education Manager, bringing a wealth of experience in coach development and performance coaching. A former academy owner and accomplished coach on both the ATP and WTA tours, Isaac has worked at the highest levels of the sport. He previously served as the National Tennis Coach Education Lead for Life Time Fitness and was formerly PTR’s Director of Development. Isaac is also the Owner and Operator of McBroom Coach Consulting, a company dedicated to advancing coach development, learning facilitation, and performance outcomes. His passion for education and innovation continues to shape the future of racquet sports coaching.
Lexi Danko
Lexi Danko
Member Experience Coordinator
Lexi joined PTR in June of 2025 as the Member Experience Coordinator. She is originally from Pittsfield, Massachusetts and moved to Florida in December of 2018 to attend The University of South Florida. She comes from a background in communications, education, and experience working closely with racquet sports and golf. Lexi’s goal is to support our members as efficiently as possible to ensure their needs are met. She looks forward to getting involved in the PTR community and being a part of the family.
Lamar Scott
Lamar Scott
Has been a certified professional tennis instructor with PTR since 2001. Has served as a PPR Coach Developer over the past two years. Has facilitated over 50 workshops across the country since 2023. Has trained other PPR Coach Developers. Received the 2023 PPR Clinician of the Year Award. Served as the 2022 ALTA President Will serve as the 2025 ALTA Board Chair Serves as a professional tennis instructor in the Atlanta area with Universal Tennis Academy (UTA). Giving back to the community is important to Lamar, and he works through pickleball and tennis to be able to give back to the community. He serves on the board of the Atlanta Youth Tennis Education Foundation, and volunteers with such organizations as the Georgia Special Olympics, North America Special Olympics Tennis Championships, PTR Wheelchair Championships, and other community organizations.
Shamiya Davis
Shamiya Davis
Creative Marketing Specialist
Shamiya Davis joined PTR in July 2025 as the Creative Marketing Associate. From Tampa, Florida, she brings digital marketing experience from nonprofit and digital marketing agencies. She has worked across a variety of branding and content projects. At PTR, Shamiya aims to support the organization’s marketing efforts and help strengthen its overall visibility. She’s eager to grow with the team and help make an impact.
Hope Crockett
Hope Crockett
Social Media & Creative Marketing Coordinator
Hope joined PTR in July 2025 as the Social Media & Marketing Coordinator. She supports the marketing team by creating and managing engaging content across all social platforms, helping to tell the story of PTR, PPR, and the wider racquet sports community.
She leads the development of social media calendars, coordinates with influencers and brand partners, and ensures that all content aligns with PTR’s brand identity. Hope also tracks social media performance and provides insights to drive continued growth.
She graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and was recognized as Distinguished Journalist of the Year in 2023. Prior to PTR, Hope gained marketing experience at Cepia LLC and contributed as a staff writer for TCU360.
Carl Maes
International Director of Coaching
Carl Maes is well known in the international world of tennis as a coach, conference presenter, international consultant, and director for various governing bodies (LTA, Norway, Belgium, Estonia…). He also heads up the Level 3 Performance Coach Program in the US for the PTR ( Professional Tennis Registry). Carl holds a master’s degree in Sport Science and Kinesiology and started his coaching career with the Belgian Tennis Federation in 1992.
Carl is probably best known for his lifelong involvement with Kim Clijsters, as a coach, but also as Academy Director of the Kim Clijsters Academy from 2014 until it’s closure at the start of the pandemic in 2020. As a coach and/or performance manager, he has worked and travelled with several other top 100 male and female players at junior and at professional level, such as: Elise Mertens, Kimmer Coppejans, Kirsten Flipkens, Johanna Konta, Xavier Malisse, Laura Robson,Yanina Wickmayer and in more recent years Sorana Cirstea, Tamara Zidansek and most recently in 2024 Bianca Andreescu. As Belgium’s Fed Cup captain, he led his team to the 2006 Fed Cup final, narrowly losing to Italy.
Currently Carl lives with his family in the South of Spain in Sotogrande, near Marbella, where he is director of the Sotogrande Racket Center and is operating and travelling as an independent tennis consultant for international players, programs and organizations.
Carl Maes
Dr. Louie Cap
Dr. Louie Cap
International Clinician
Louie travels the globe conducting International PTR Day events, certification workshops & PTR testing. Louie is one of only two clinicians authorized to conduct international Etcheberry Strength & Conditioning Certification.
Louie has a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from Baylor University, is a Senior Head Professional at the Van Der Meer Tennis Center, a PTR Master Professional and PTR International Tester and Clinician.
Dr. Anne Pankhurst
Dr. Anne Pankhurst
Education Consultant
Anne is the Education Consultant for PTR, responsible for designing and developing the new PTR Coach Education Pathway. She is also a consultant to several tennis academies and USA Football. Previously, Anne was Manager, Coaching Education for USTA High Performance, working with High Performance Coaches throughout the USA.
Prior to the USTA position, Anne served as Coach Education Director for The Lawn Tennis Association in England. At the LTA, Anne had full responsibility for developing all Coach Education and Teacher Education courses, all Tutor Training, Coach Development and Coach Licensing. She was a member of the ITF International Coaches Commission from 1997-2005. Anne has also coached full time, and presents at numerous tennis and other sport conventions and symposia around the world. She is in the process of completing her PhD, studying how the relationships between coaches, parents and the system impact the development of young tennis players with potential.
