Check Out Carl Joyce’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carl Joyce.

Hi Carl, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I fell in love with the game of tennis at the age of 9. Growing up in Georgia me and my younger brother Cole were always into sports, baseball mostly. The individual aspect of tennis and the fast pace of the game compared to baseball made me switch sports and really focus on becoming a better player. Traveling to tournaments with our coach and parents every weekend to Atlanta and spending time during rain delays at the malls and movie theaters or playing ping pong are some of my favorite memories as a kid. I even got paid to hit with other kids when i was only 15 years old and i started doing private coaching and doing summer camps at that time as well. I achieved a state ranking of top 20 in the state as an 18 yr old and continued playing competitevly until i moved to California at the age of 23. I was number 2 in the state in the Men’s Open division at that time in Georgia, which was one of my highest achievements. I didnt have a national ranking, which kept me from playing at the University of Georgia where i went to school, and i enjoyed the freshmen year off from tennis since it was a very emotional, physical grind of work ethic, practice, and tournamet play which includes waking up super early for 8AM matches with extra time needed for practice beforehand. I really fell back in love witth hte game after that year off when i realized how it was supposed to be fun and that people actually played this sport for the enjoyment, which i lost somewhere along the way. i finished school with a Bachelors in Informaion Technology , just to please the parents, and Once i moved to California i got to be a full time coach working with multiple private clubs and was the Oak Park High School Tennis Coach for the Boys and Girls Teams from 2004-2022., winning the league 5 consecutive years Working with the kids really takes me back to reliving all those cherished memories of how fun and exciting this sport really is. I am now at Lindero Country Club in Agoura Hills and get to work with more young kids , ages 6-12 and prepare them for High School tennis and tournament play. Deep down, i believe tennis was a great outlet for me, and really helps to burn off stress, get exercise and stay in the moment. Tennis is a very mental game and you almost have to be your own therapist on the courts when its just you and your opponent. Dealing with emotions is definitely part of the game and most kids are all over the place when winning or losing is on the line. The only thing you can control on the tennis court is the next ball, nothing else matters. It forces you to be here and now and not think about the past and that horrible shot you hit on game point 5 minutes ago or the future where you can see the finish line. I feel very lucky to get to do what i love everyday for a living and teach and mentor kids to become the best versions of themselves on and off the courts. Im at a very good place in my life, got married to my beautiful wife Jaclyn 2 years ago in July and am in the process of starting my own candle business and buying a bigger property to start a foster/rescue center for animals. life is good, just have to remember to Be Here Now and take it one breath at a time.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The playing struggles for me were learning to supress some of my emotions when playing matches at the highest level. Any weakness can easily be taken advantage of and can cost you a few points here and there when you were super angry or stuck thinking of a bad shot you hit. Working and teaching tennis for a living always has its financial burdens such as rain and fire, smoke and bad weather gives you extra days off. We’re pretty lucky here in SoCal with no rain most of the year. Working your way up the ladder and making connections is similar to other jobs, and i learned alot from the guys i was working for over the years. Now i am in charge of Jr Programming and the Head Pro at Lindero CC and all the years of working for others have really paid off. Thanks and shout outs to Tim Scnaibke and Phil Abramson who have really done a lot to help me get to where i am today

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
i specialize in techique and footwork training for kids of all ages, with the goal being to get them to the highest level for High School Tennis or even college through private one on one classes, group class training, summer camps , and tournament play. Im most proud of my High School teams” success and my 10 year olds tournament wins that they achieved the last year. I belive my easy going personality, along with being able to make the gamne fun,as well as really making the kids all feel heard and part of something is what sets our program apart. There are plenty of crazy Tennis parents out there pushing their kids to play 4 hours a day, and wake up at 6 am to play tournmamts and travel every weekend and that is great. The downside is most of these kids burn out and really lose all the joy that the game originally provided. There is definitly a fine line of how much they can be pushed to become a great player and each kid is different. Some may just want to play High School tennis for fun while others want a college scholarship. The beauty of this sport is that you can play it forever so it doesn’t matter what age or what goals you might have.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
i love that Agoura is on the outskirts and we don’t have to deal with the traffic of downtown.My wife and I are Vegan and we love going into LA to check out all the new restaurants, since we dont have much selection around here. Im a music lover too, so being able to see all your favorite artists every year is really special. I also like that we are close to Vegas amd also spend alot of weekends in surrounding areas like Santa Barbara and Ojai as well.

Pricing:

• group classes Mon/Wed/Fri 4:30-6 $50/class and those classes run all year long
• 30 minute private class – $80
• 1 hour private class – $140