Seal Beach Tennis Center Gets A Makeover

SEAL BEACH—The Seal Beach Tennis Center (SBTC) is in the midst of a major makeover, from a revamped Pro Shop to new Pickle Ball courts, SBTC’s new lead Tennis Professional Brenda Danielson is launching new programs for all levels of play; but when it comes to attracting new students she has a secret weapon. That secret weapon is long-time SBTC instructor Mickey Yelverton, who has quietly and single-handedly ushered over 70 players into successful collegiate and professional careers.

Danielson considers Yelverton to be a true “hidden gem” within the Orange County tennis world.

“There are a zillion instructors like me out there and I’m actually above average but there’s only a handful of local high performance coaches. We see Mickey as the teacher who will be able to teach the other coaches to coach better,” said Danielson.

Yelverton is a certified United States Tennis Association (USTA) High Performance Coach, an elite distinction that a small percentage of instructors earn. Out of all 25,000 USPTA certified instructors less than 1,000 have this High Performance designation. To qualify a coach must have had students that have been nationally or sectionally ranked as well as evidence of successful coaching at all levels of play (www.usta.com).

“With Mickey we can take a kid from the very first day they have a racquet in their hand to the pro tour, which is incredibly rare, especially for a public tennis center. Her teaching is just on a whole other level and she has this innate ability to understand how each player learns,” said Danielson.

In her youth Yelverton was somewhat of a child prodigy when it came to tennis. By age 14 she had won her state’s age division multiple times and played against future stars like Kathy Rinaldi, Mary Joe Fernandez, Andre Yeager, Zina Garrison and Lindsey Davenport. By the time she was in 7th grade she had been offered several scholarships to play in college.

Then her parent’s complicated divorce and unforeseen circumstances drove her away from the game. For a ten-year period she turned her back on tennis and stopped playing. By the time she decided to try again the racquets had changed.

When she finally did came back it only took a year of training for her to climb to number three in the Women’s Open in Southern California which re-sparked her love of the game. But coming back wasn’t easy, lots of opportunities that were previously offered had been taken away and expectations were high with the added pressure of catching up to her peers who had gone on to lead impressive careers. Yelverton eventually realized she’d be a better fit behind the scenes and when she began coaching it felt like it was meant to be.

“It saved my life, for me tennis is like life—it’s teaching kids that there are choices and that if one thing doesn’t work it’s okay to try something different. Just like a puzzle and putting the pieces together, that’s what tennis is.”

Today, Yelverton’s students are her family. In 10 years of teaching at SBTC she has never had to advertise or solicit business, all her students come to her from word of mouth. The walls of her office are filled with pictures of her students and she’s been known to play the role of therapist or even take a kid in during tough times. She basically provides whatever support they need in order to keep playing.

“I want people to have what I didn’t get,” Yelverton said. “I think that’s why I connect so well because I’ve felt the pressure of having to win everything. I’ve felt the pressure of never being good enough; I’ve felt those pressures personally. I’ve lived it, so when I see these kids I know the pain that they’re feeling or what they’re going through.”

For more information on the Seal Beach Tennis Center and their Junior Academy lead by Mickey Yelverton visit www.sealbeachtenniscenter.com

About the Seal Beach Tennis Center:

The Seal Beach Tennis Center (SBTC) is a public tennis facility with programs and classes for all levels of play. The property features 16 tennis courts, four lit Pickle Ball courts, an indoor fitness center, Pro Shop, Clubhouse and full locker rooms. The SBTC is open to the public with several membership options for added benefits. For more information visit www.sealbeachtenniscenter.com