DEVELOPING PLAYERS, CHANGING LIVES

Coach Alvin (AJ) Varnado has been teaching for almost three decades He is a Co-Director and Tennis Director of A’s & Aces, a New Orleans based NJTL founded in 2008 that has been recognized nationally (2013 USTA National NJTL Chapter of the Year) Coach AJ is a highperformance, USPTA Elite Pro, and PTR Professional, who has worked with players of all levels and ages. It is not the titles that make him an exceptional teacher. Coach AJ is more than a coach – he is a dedicated educator, a mentor to players and his fellow co-workers, and a wellrounded tennis industry specialist He is currently working on A’s & Aces’ capacity to expand its programming and reach more children, recruit and train more young coaches, and reach more public schools. This year Coach AJ also joined the LTA’s Board of Directors; his goals include developing opportunities statewide for those who have historically lacked access to the game of tennis, as well as increasing the number of coaches from underrepresented groups.