Joe Dixon - Coach

Being involved in high performance sport from an early age has given Nathan the tools to be successful in his career to date, both as a player and coach.

After gaining a full Tennis Scholarship to an American University, Nathan played as a professional ATP Ranked Tennis Player, competing full time in tournaments around the world.

Alongside this, Nathan is an experienced and qualified performance coach with part One and Two (DCA/CCA – LTA Coach Education Department) of his coaching badges. He has recently secured a place on the LTA Masters Performance Course commencing September 2011. Nathan has a wide range of coaching experience including Programme Management, Individual player management (both junior/senior level) and tournament/training scheduling for full time players on the ITF/ATP/WTA circuits.

Nathan has a genuine 'love for the game' and relishes the opportunity to help players maximise their potential - whatever that may be.

Luke Passman - Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach

Luke has worked in strength and conditioning at a high performance level for several years. Along the way he has worked with collegiate, professional, national, international and Olympic level athletes in a variety of sports.

Luke is a ‘proud’ Londoner but moved up to the north east of England to complete his Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees, after which he took up a position at Teesside University where he began his strength & conditioning career. While at Teesside, Luke worked with the universities elite, national and international level athletes, where he gained experience of working with a variety of sports such as: Middle distance running, Greco Roman Wrestling, Rowing, Boxing, Rugby League, Men’s Basketball, Women’s Football, Table Tennis and many more. Luke also has experience of working within Rugby Union at a National and Professional level with the Scottish Rugby national youth squads and with the Newcastle Falcons Professional Rugby Union Team for the 2010/2011 season, working with the 1st team on their strength & conditioning programmes in gym and out on the pitch.
Alongside this Luke has lead the Strength & Conditioning support for the two time Paratriathlon European and World champion for the last two years, prescribing all gym and bike sessions and most recently overseeing the implementation of the Strength & conditioning programmes from afar.

Luke is an accredited Strength & Conditioning coach with the UKSCA and NSCA and is currently enrolled on the BASES sports scientist supervised experience programme. Luke writes and delivers all of the Academy’s fitness programmes as well as providing nutritional education and monitoring of training loads for all of STA's players.

Rob Chave - Strength & Conditioning Coach

Rob has worked in sports science positions at an elite level for the past two years in a variety of different sports including cricket, rugby and football.

Originally from Surrey, Rob completed a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science and MSc in Sports Performance at University of Portsmouth. Whilst undertaking his undergraduate degree he gained applied experience completing a strength and conditioning internship at Sussex County Cricket Club, assisting the lead strength and conditioning coach with their academy, county and international players. Having gained valuable experience in cricket, Rob then moved to AFC Bournemouth as the Lead Academy Sports Scientist for the 2011/2012 season where he was responsible for a multidisciplinary approach to sports science on the pitch, in the gym and in the labs at Southampton Solent University, providing expert conditioning and monitoring strategies for football training. As part of his MSc dissertation Rob also closely focused on heart rate recovery after submaximal exercise as a determinant of fitness and hopes to develop the area during his career.

Rob has spent time working at Worthing Rugby Football Club as a strength and rehabilitation coach for their 1st team and development squads, including former Heineken Cup and AVIVA premiership standard athletes. Always keen to maintain an academic interest in his sports science provision, Rob currently lectures on the applied aspects of sports science on the undergraduate course at University of Portsmouth, as well as providing their scholar athletes with strength and conditioning support. He works closely with three Team GB development squad athletes in sailing and boxing.

Rob is currently a Probationary Sport and Exercise Scientist with BASES and assists Luke and Nick with the delivery of sports science at SotoTennis Academy.

Louise J. Tavares - Tutor

Louise was born and brought up in Gibraltar. She moved to the UK in her teens and was based there for many years, during which time she graduated from Oxford University with a masters degree in Modern Languages (Spanish and French) and from Durham University with a masters degree in Social Anthropology. She later obtained a teaching qualification from International House, London, and embarked upon a career teaching English as a foreign language abroad.

She has taught at a number of establishments ranging from secondary schools in France, a summer school in northern Spain and language schools in Italy and Australia.

Since 2004, Louise has been based on the coast, where she has been tutoring both adults and children. She offers tuition to G.C.S.E. level in a range of subjects including English, Spanish, French, Science and History. She also teaches languages at AS and A level. She has been tutoring a number of STA players since February 2012, guiding them through their distance learning courses (following the Oxford Home Schooling curriculum).

Louise greatly enjoys teaching and has a good rapport with children and teenagers.