Our Team

Patrick Hieber

General Manager LTP Academy

Patrick started playing as a Junior in all age groups from 14s to 18s on various club, national and international team tournaments in Germany. He is a certified coach by the Hessen Tennis Federation (HTV), the German Tennis Federation (DTB) and the Global Professional Tennis Coaches Association (GPTCA). From 2000 through 2011 Patrick ran tennis camps for all levels and ages in Germany, Turkey, Egypt, Spain and Tunisia at 5 Star club resorts and tennis academies. In 2012 and 2013 he was tournament director for the Boys´12s National Clay Court Championships in Winston-Salem, overseeing all aspects of a National Championship tournament. He has coached and worked with multiple ATP and WTA players and have been selected as the Head Coach for various USTA Team Events. Most recently players include Emma Navarro, Sophie Chang, Katarina Jokic and Oliver Crawford to name a few. In 2014 Patrick was the #1 ranked Men’s 35s player in the southern section and in 2015 was ranked #73 in the ITF World Rankings for Men’s 35s. In 2022 he was the #1 ranked player in the Southern Section in Men’s 40s and #12 in the Nation in this age division. Patrick joined the LTP Team in 2016 and has been the tournament director for multiple WTA, ATP, ITF and UTR professional events in addition to running the Girls’ 18s National Clay Court Championships and the ITA College All American Championships.

Peter Ayers

Pro Player Coach

Peter, who is the Coach of Emma Navarro, had a highly decorated junior career before becoming an All-American tennis player at Duke University. After college, Peter played professionally on the ATP Futures and Challenger tours. As a tennis coach, Peter teaches and preaches to “be great at the little things” with a focus on athletic preparation and the importance of a player’s first move.

Michael Sell

Co-Director LTP Academy & Director of Pro Program

Michael attended the University of Georgia, where he was a four-time singles All-American and was ranked No. 6. He received the Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship/Leadership Award in 1994. He played professionally on the ATP Tour for five years and reached a career-high ranking of World No. 136 in singles and World No. 83 in doubles. He captured 14 Challenger titles on the USTA Pro Circuit and was selected as a practice partner for the USA Davis Cup Team in 1998. Michael is an accomplished tennis coach and former professional tennis player who has worked with several top athletes in the sport, including Reilly Opelka, John Isner, Tommy Paul, Serena Williams, Donald Young and Monica Seles. He has served as the lead national tennis coach for the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) and as the assistant coach for the U.S. men’s and women’s teams at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, where the team captured three gold medals and one bronze medal. Prior to joining LTP Tennis, Sell served as co-head coach of Louisiana State University’s women's tennis team. During his six-year tenure, he helped the team reach record-high rankings, including breaking into the top 10 for the first time in 2016 and reemerging at the No. 9 spot in 2021.

Randy Pate

Co-Director LTP Academy

Originally from Raleigh, NC, Randy graduated from the Nick Bolletieri Tennis Academy as its first two sport athlete. He went on to Atlantic Christian (Barton College) where he played on a basketball and tennis scholarship. In 1987, Randy opened his first tennis academy. In 2016, he was recruited to Charleston to develop a world class junior and collegiate tennis development program. Over his career, his players have won over 300 national, southern, & state level junior level titles, as well as ITF and Junior Grand Slam championships. He regards his greatest accomplishments to be guiding his junior players to achieve & leverage their tennis goals to create outstanding college tennis & academic options for themselves.

Brandon Arradaza

Head Academy Coach

Originally from Northern Michigan, Brandon played college tennis at Ferris State University where he earned his degree in Professional Tennis Management. Prior to joining LTP Academy, Brandon was the Girl's Head Coach at the Saddlebrook Tennis Academy where he had success helping players achieve top national rankings and international wins.

Gaston Murray

Academy & Pro Performance Coach

Gaston received in BA in Media Studies from UNC, Greensboro and was a Division-1 Student-Athlete, for the UNCG Men’s Tennis Team. He holds certification is USPTA Professional and Coach Youth Tennis. Gaston is the former hitting partner of Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff and also for the U.S. FED CUP Team in 2018 for the finals of the U.S. competing against the Czech Republic in Prague. He was the Men’s Assistant Tennis Coach at The Citadel and a Teaching Professional at the I’ON Club.

Cristian Pons

Academy Coach

Cristian was a highly ranked player in his home county, Chile. He played ITF juniors and professional tennis in Chile and Argentina before coming to the US for a tennis scholarship at Lee university, where he graduated with a business management degree.

Chelsea Sawyer

Academy Coach

Chelsea was an NCAA Division-1 athlete and played at three power five schools (SEC, ACC, & Big 10). Her college career achievements include ranked wins against numbers 25 and 62 in the nation and she was the captain of her team at Louisville. As a junior player she was nationally ranked as high as 27 and was a 5-star recruit. Chelsea holds a degree in sports administration.

Lenny Schloss

Academy Coach

After an exceptional junior career, Lenny went to the University of Tennessee for his college tennis & left as an All American & member of their Hall of Fame. Lenny turned professional, where he achieved a Top 10 ranking among American players and played in all of the Grand Slams before before an injury ended his career. He owned & worked at a variety of tennis academies throughout the country, teaching over 20,000 juniors and 1,000 coaches. Lenny is a business partner with Billie Jean King on a revolutionary tennis instructional tool, the Eye Coach.

Chris Canady

Director of U12 Player Development/ROGY

Chris Canady joins the LTP team with an extensive background in tennis coaching and development, having most recently served as Director of Tennis at the renowned Tucker Tennis Academy in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With over a decade of experience in leading high-performance programs, including his tenure at Sparta Tennis Academy in New Zealand, Chris brings a global perspective and a track record of success. Known for his innovative coaching strategies and ability to build strong connections with both players and parents, Chris will oversee all aspects of our U12 Player Development and ROGY program. He will also work closely with full-time Academy students, enhancing the technical and tactical growth of our youngest athletes.

Chris Cagle

Director of Adult Tennis

Chris grew up in Greensboro, NC and played college tennis at UNC-Wilmington (2-time team captain). After college, Chris played professional tennis in Europe, Mexico and the United States. After playing as a professional, Chris was the Assistant Men’s Coach at Wake Forest and Penn State, and then the Head Woman’s Coach at Penn State, where he set program highs in the Big Ten conference and national rankings.

Patrick Flynn

Director of ROGY Tennis

Patrick joins our team from Spartanburg SC where he was a tennis instructor for the Rock Hill Tennis Center. He earned a PhD in Music Education and worked as a professor of music since 1994. He has also been coaching tennis professionally for over 20 years at various academies and facilities in Florida, Tennessee and South Carolina. Patrick has a strong passion for the game of tennis, but even deeper desire to help develop the next generation of young players to develop a love for the game of tennis. Patrick has two sons Asa and Eli Flynn that are nationally ranked and desire to play tennis professionally. Patrick’s main focus for LTP Daniel Island is to build up the ROGY Program by increasing participation from the local community and abroad, as well as inspire a new generation of champions on and off the court.  

Fritz Gildemeister

High Performance Coach

Fritz Gildemester has joined LTP Academy as a new High Performance coach. With an impressive history in both playing and coaching, Fritz brings decades of experience to our team.  Fritz has transitioned his passion for the sport into a successful coaching career, where his in-depth knowledge and strategic insight have helped shape the development of top-level players. His expertise lies in high-performance training, and he is dedicated to cultivating both the technical and mental skills necessary for players to compete at their best. Fritz’s deep commitment to player development, combined with his experience at the highest levels of the sport, makes him an invaluable addition to the LTP Academy coaching staff. We’re excited for our players to benefit from his wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm for the game!

Geoffrey Ashley

ROGY, Adult & Fitness Coach

From Los Angeles, CA, Geoffrey is a 4th generation tennis player and coach. Geoffrey has extensive experience teaching tennis to juniors and adults, as well as strength and conditioning training. Geoffrey holds a BFA in Photography from the University of Arizona and is a graduate of the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts.

Brent Thacker

Head Fitness Coach

Brent received his undergrad degree in Biology and his Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from Marshall University. In his first job out of college Brent worked at a performance facility where fitness coaches specialized in guiding high school athletes to the collegiate level and college athletes to the pro level. Brents been working in the fitness industry for over 20 years with athletes of all varieties of sport He has trained all of our former and current LTP pro players and been working with Emma Navarro for over eight years

Claire Manganaro

LTP Academy Fitness Coach

Claire is a Certified Personal Trainer and Physical Therapist Assistant with a focus on fitness and injury prevention, wellness and rehabilitation.  She has served in multiple roles from lead instructor, head trainer and youth fitness specialist for both small group and private instruction.  When she is not in the gym, Claire enjoys being a mother to her three children Camden, Cole and Charlotte and exploring Charleston with her husband of 20 years, Chris.

Dr. Kelly Shannon

Physical Therapist

Dr. Kelly Shannon graduated from James Madison University in 2005 where she studied Biology and received a Bachelor of Science degree.  She received her Doctor of Physical Therapy at the Medical University of South Carolina where she graduated Summa Cum Laude.  For the past 15 years she’s been working in outpatient orthopedics and treating an assortment of diagnoses. She was the recipient of the Best of the Best of Frederick for Physical Therapist in 2019 and runner up in 2020. She moved back to South Carolina in 2021 with the desire to start helping Charlestonians live active and pain free lifestyles. Her areas of specialization include Spinal mobilization, PRI techniques, Sacroiliac Dysfunction, Myofascial Release, IASTM, Running Rehabilitation and Running Gait analysis. Additionally, she is certified in Dry Needling, an approach used to treat trigger points and is often a great adjunct to the treatment. In her spare time, she enjoys camping, hiking, cooking and spending time with her husband and two girls.

Chris DeMarco

Sports Psychologist/Mental Coach

Chris obtained his Master’s Degree in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Denver and is in the final stage of achieving the highest certification in Sport Psychology (CMPC). He works with athletes as a mental performance coach and previously worked as a strength and conditioning coach (CSCS). His clients are on the WTA, NCAA, Korn Ferry Tour, and High School, and youth level athletes. He played collegiate golf at Queens University of Charlotte, and earned all-state honors in high school tennis, golf and basketball. Chris is passionate about enhancing athlete’s performance through mental training and focusing on their overall wellbeing and mental health. Chris is currently working with all Academy players and is available for private lessons.

Steve Williams

Director of Pickleball

Originally from Long Island, NY, Steve made Charleston, SC his home in April 2022. With an impressive background in tennis, Steve achieved All-American status while playing for NJCAA before transferring to Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, where he captained the men's tennis team and graduated with a degree in Business Management. Now, he has fully transitioned to pickleball and is a force to be reckoned with in the Pro and Minor League circuits and is certified by IPTPA.

Nadia Haven

Pickleball Coach

Nadia Haven is a PPR-certified teaching professional at LTP. With a background as a Division 1 athlete and a passion for fitness, Nadia offers a dynamic and strategic approach to pickleball. Her instruction blends technical expertise with a positive environment to help her clients achieve results and enjoy the process.

Nadia was raised in a military family, attended Indiana University as an undergrad, and earned her Master’s at Oxford University in the UK. When she is off the pickleball court, she works at Adojo, a movement-based learning app for kids.