Mike Kopp
Mike previously served as the Director of Tennis of the Registry/Naples Grande & The New York Athletic Club. He has overseen some of the finest clubs in America! Aside from his experience as a Tennis Director, Mike is an award-winning teacher, a National Fast Serve Champion and a USTA certified training coach. Mike believes that every player can improve and have fun and he prides himself in teaching “realistic tennis”.
Testimonials
Todd Watkins
Todd is a graduate of Clemson University where he played all 4 years on the tennis team and achieved All-American status. His simplistic approach on how to play doubles and stroke production make learning fun and enjoyable which leads to personal improvement. Todd’s philosophy on teaching is refreshing as you will know instantly when you make a mistake, how to rectify it. Todd’s teaching style is easy to understand and puts you in charge of your own game. Todd has been teaching in Collier County since 1994, when he graduated (from Clemson) with a degree in political science. Todd coached the Pelican Bay 55+ 6.0 women’s team to their national championship in 2015. To get the greatest benefit from his coaching, Todd recommends 4 players (preferably doubles partners) for a group lesson of 90 minutes or if you need individual (execution) attention schedule an hour private lesson.
Toni Novack
Tennis Professional Toni Novack brings a wealth of playing, teaching, and coaching experience to our Pelican Bay members.
Toni’s playing career has taken her from Junior National events through NCAA Division 1 semi-finalist in doubles and quarterfinalist in singles. During her “Open Career days,” she continued to play the Southern Tour, Virginia Slims circuit, International Open, and Senior Tours. Presently Toni is ranked #1 in the US Women’s Senior Singles and #4 in the World (International Tennis Federation-ITF) in singles. Toni has represented the US on numerous Senior Cup Teams and has brought home the gold medal both in singles and doubles. This year at the ITF World Team Cup Championships, she won the gold medal for doubles and individually earned a bronze for placing 3rd in singles.
Toni was fortunate to have been the Head Counselor for Grand Slam Champion Don Budge at his well-known Tennis Campus in Maryland. She coached juniors both stateside and abroad and held the Director of Tennis positions on the US mainland (Le Club International, High Hampton Resort) and internationally ( The American Club Hong Kong, Las Hadas in Mexico, among others).
Toni believes that tennis truly keeps you young – physically, mentally, and socially – and she looks forward to taking your game to the next level. Whether your basics need improvement or mental toughness needs fine-tuning, the more you improve the more fun you will have.
Daniel Harden
Born and raised in Columbus, GA, Daniel grew up playing and loving all sports, including tennis of course. In 2003, he was named as the Georgia Male Junior Player of the Year and went on to play Division I tennis at Georgia Southern University, where he competed in both singles and doubles.
After graduating college from the Business school with a degree in Marketing/Sales, he moved to Tampa, FL where he was the Assistant Tennis Professional at Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club for almost 8 years. In 2018, Daniel moved to Charleston, SC and was the Director of Tennis at Legend Oaks Golf and Country Club and then Director of Youth Development at Charleston Tennis Center.
Daniel is a USPTA certified teaching professional and a member of the USTA at a rating of 5.0. He still enjoys competing in singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles leagues and tournaments. From 2011 to 2017, Daniel competed year-round in Ultimate Tennis singles at the 6.0 skill level, where he won the league 6 times. In 2019, he led his men’s combo and mixed doubles teams to the South Carolina State titles. Off the tennis court, Daniel also enjoys beach volleyball, running, soccer, exploring parks, concerts, music festivals, and various other outdoor activities.
Tennis is his passion, and he loves bringing the joy of the sport to as many people as he can. Daniel welcomes and enjoys teaching players of all ages and skill levels and is excited to bring his energy, enthusiasm, and experience to the tennis courts. His skills and expertise range from tiny-tots kids clinics, to elite level hitting sessions, to beginner adult clinics, to super senior doubles strategy sessions. With a well-rounded knowledge of tennis instruction, Daniel can create memorable experiences for all players.