Background
 
 
BIO I started playing tennis at the age of two and a half. I spent hours hitting tennis balls with my mom in my driveway in Connecticut. If no one was available to play then the garage door was my hitting partner. When I turned eight I moved up to the state of Maine and continued my tennis success. After graduating from high school with a top ranking in the state, I moved on to play NCAA tennis for Methodist University, NC. As captain, I helped lead Methodist to the NCAA national tournament and achieved a top ranking in the nation and Southern Conference. The four years I played at Methodist I was awarded as a four time “Scholar Athlete,” four time “USA South All Academic Team,” and “Senior Scholar Athlete,” graduating magna cum laude. I have always enjoyed teaching tennis to all ages. One of the greatest aspects about tennis is that no two people I have seen hit the ball the same way. Everyone has their own unique style of playing and that is what makes the sport and being a coach so much fun. Having had the privilege of working with some of the country’s most legendary coaches from the East Coast to the West Coast and also with some of the top national and world ranked juniors, has given me the experience and knowledge to coach anyone to the next level. Mission Statement My mission is to provide the most personable and professional tennis instruction in the West Los Angeles area. With a solid tennis background I am able to provide knowledgeable feedback and simplify the complexity of the game. I will communicate the process of how to raise each player’s abilities, while working on skills one at a time. I want to answer as many questions as I can about tennis and make everyone’s experience fun and valuable.
Mike Layton College Methodist University (Magna Cum Laude) Major B.S. Business Administration Concentrations Professional Tennis Management Resort Management Tennis Experience 25 Years Started Playing at 2 1/2 years Tennis Credentials USPTA Professional-1 PTR USTA NTRP Rating: 5.5 Coached #1 ITF Junior in U.S. Coached #17 ITF Junior in World Sports Science Certificate “The Grips Program” Tester Resume Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA Burning Tree CC, Greenwich, CT The Milbrook Club, Greenwich, CT Methodist University, Fayetteville, NC Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, NC Freeport Tennis Camp, Freeport, ME Portland CC, Portland, ME Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms, SC Favorite Book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People -Stephen Covey Favorite Quote “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” -Arthur Ashe