Amy is the CEO of Agape Tennis Academy, which currently manages public tennis centers in Fountain Valley, California, Oxnard, California, and Atlanta, Georgia. The organization provides programming to over 15,000 tennis and pickleball players annually. She currently manages a staff of over 125 tennis and pickleball coaches, administrative professionals, and business managers. Agape’s management style, processes, and systemized to approach allows the organization to continue to scale.

Amy is certified by the USTA in Sports Science and High-Performance Player Development. She is certified in Tennis by the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR), Pickleball by the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR), and platform tennis by the Professional Platform Tennis Registry (PPTR).

Amy is a coach, author, change expert and serial entrepreneur. Her personal and professional transformation systems show us how to infuse entrepreneurship with purpose, passion, and perseverance to create businesses that are bigger than the bottom line and positively impact communities.

Agape Tennis Academy at DeKalb Tennis Center was awarded Best of Decatur (2019-2023) for the fourth consecutive year in 2023, earning a spot in the Business Hall of Fame. In 2022, Amy and Agape received the City of Fountain Valley’s Kindness Award, an honor that recognizes Agape’s commitment to H.E.A.R.T.. Also in 2022, Agape Tennis Academy was selected as the Best Public Facility by the Professional Pickleball Registry at the company’s annual conference, where Amy was also a featured speaker.

In 2021, Agape and Amy were recognized by the United States Congress, the California Legislature Assembly, and the County of Orange as one of Fountain Valley’s finest leaders, in recognition of her small business’ contributions to the U.S. economy. Most recently in Georgia in 2020 and 2021, Agape Tennis Academy received the Best of Decatur Award. This award is given to local companies in different categories that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

In 2019, Amy was honored as the PTR Georgia Member of the Year and Tennis Media Group named Agape Tennis Academy Organization of the Year. Agape Tennis Academy was selected as the GPTA’s (Georgia Professional Tennis Association) Program of the Year in 2018. In 2017, Amy was voted Tennis Director of the Year and Agape Tennis Academy was named 10 and Under Program of the Year by the GPTA. In 2016, Agape Tennis Academy was voted Community Outreach Program of the Year by the GPTA.

Amy currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia and in San Clemente, California with her two cats Zuki and Paix. She enjoys traveling, reading, business, living life to the fullest, all things outdoors, tennis, pickleball, golf, hiking, biking, surfing, and being in the ocean.

Annie Freeman brings an interesting decades-old mix of tennis experience and hospitality to her role as Chief Operating Officer for Agape Tennis Academy. She started playing tennis at the age of seven and has continued playing ever since. Annie was the captain of her Marist School team that won the National Championship for Tennis.

After studying engineering at Marquette University, for more than 25 years she combined her work as a popular sports bar employee with managing, merchandising and systems for Serious Tennis and Berkeley Hills Country Club. In addition to her challenging work with the expanding Agape Tennis Academy, Annie and her husband also help homeowners clear their houses of clutter and organize estate sales. They now live in Duluth with their daughter, Maddux, and fur baby, Lilly.

David Hale is a seasoned tennis coach with a wealth of experience, bringing a unique blend of professional achievements to the court. Having honed skills at the ITF and ATP circuit, achieving a notable career high ranking in ITF singles (1404) and ATP doubles (1625). With 15 years of coaching expertise, David successfully designed and implemented training programs that have propelled clients to new heights.

A former collegiate tennis player, David showcased exceptional sportsmanship and consistently ranked within the top 10 during his Freshman and Sophomore years at both Tennessee State University and Holmes Junior College. David’s extensive junior history includes participating in prestigious tournaments such as the Orange Bowl, Eddie Herr, and Prince Cup, with notable victories like winning the ITA Regional tournament and achieving an undefeated record in 2012. With a winning mindset, David is dedicated to fostering a passion for tennis and helping players reach their full potential.

Chris Freeman was born and raised in Norcross, Georgia. Growing up, he played soccer and swam competitively year round. He graduated from Norcross High School, where he played baseball and football. He studied political science at Georgia Southern University and Georgia State. He had his own landscaping company for many years called Green Monster Landscaping, but he is a jack of all trades. His favorite hobby by far is listening to music. His vast knowledge of songs and artists and his uncanny ability to remember lyrics from almost every song he hears are astounding. He has traveled around the southeast following his favorite band, Pearl Jam. He enjoys just about every sport there is, but his favorite would be baseball. He has been married to Annie Freeman for almost 19 years and has a 16-year-old daughter named Maddux (who was named after former Braves pitcher). Chris brings his knowledge of landscape, maintenance, and attention to detail to Agape, as Director of Maintenance for all Georgia locations and office assistant at two locations.

Caroline is originally from Cumming, Georgia and is currently a student at Georgia State University, where she is majoring in Nursing. She grew up playing tennis and has a strong passion for the sport. Caroline is outgoing and energetic and enjoys staying active and meeting new people. She enjoys traveling the world, with favorite destinations including Lake Como and London, and hopes to continue exploring new places and cultures. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and relaxing with her cat, Vincent. 

Christine grew up playing tennis in Augusta, Georgia. She moved up to Atlanta four years ago to start her college career at Georgia Institute of Technology.  She is now in her senior year of studying biology and ocean climate and plans to pursue research in these areas. She dedicates lots of her free time to tennis, whether that is watching or playing, and loves being a part of the Georgia Tech club tennis team.

Bella is a motivated 15-year-old student-athlete who balances academics and athletics at a high level. She competes in high-performance tennis and plays Line 1 singles for her high school team. She also made the varsity volleyball team as a freshman, serving as the libero, and competes on the Elite 1 team with Tsunami Volleyball Club. While taking four honors classes, she demonstrates strong discipline, dedication, and time management skills. Outside of school and sports, she enjoys spending time with her friends.

Zainayyah Pasha is originally from Philadelphia. She’s now a student at Georgia State University and reigniting her childhood love for tennis. With a bubbly and outgoing personality, she brings a bright, friendly energy wherever she goes. She loves painting, baking, crocheting, hanging out with friends, and diving into new creative hobbies. A fun fact about her: she was almost a twin.

Hi! I’m Xia, and I’m a Front Desk Coordinator at Agape Tennis Academy. I love being one of the first faces people see when they walk through the doors, and I do my best to make everyone feel welcomed with a smile. One of the things I value most is creating a warm, positive environment where every guest feels seen and supported.

Outside of the academy, I’m a student at Georgia State University. In my free time, I enjoy volunteering with families and organizations that support women’s health because giving back to my community is something that’s very important to me. I also love to travel and experience new places, cultures, and food whenever I get the chance.

I’m excited to be part of the Agape community, and I look forward to meeting you on your next visit!

Steffi is from Milton, GA and played 4 years of tennis for Milton High School. She went on to play for Catawba College, a Division II school outside of Charlotte, NC. She currently holds the record for most singles wins in a career for any woman at Catawba.

After college, Steffi went on to earn her master’s in Strategic Communication from High Point University in High Point, NC. She has spent the last 12 and a half years working in digital marketing for various companies throughout Atlanta.

Steffi loves being involved in the local Atlanta tennis community and helping others get started with the sport. She is also an avid pickleball player and is always looking for new folks to play with!

Coach Emory Clark is a three time Teacher of the Year Finalist, Health and Physical Education Teacher who enjoys people and sports. He has taught in the South Fulton area of Atlanta, Georgia for 13 years.

Coach Emory was introduced to Pickleball in 2004 as a freshmen at Fort Valley State University. Emory started teaching the fastest growing sport in America in 2017. He has taught over 1,000 people pickleball ranging from ages 5-85.

Coach Emory has a true passion for teaching. He has a social club teaching lifetime sports, recreational opportunities, and traveling. His main focus is to help people network and stay active and healthy for a lifetime. Coaching pickleball is a perfect opportunity!

He Is a level 1 IPTPA certified Pickleball Instructor. He enjoys coaching youth and adults of all ages and levels. In his efforts to spread the word about pickleball further, he even wrote a children’s book entitled Ava Armstrong the Pickleball Princess! The book is about a little girl who just wants to play Pickleball! Coach Emory is a perfect coach for youth, those wanting to learn the game, or those looking to improve on the skills they already have! Contact Coach Emory directly to set up private or group private lessons.

Vincenzo Ciccone is an American tennis pro. He represented Jamaica, W.I. as a dual citizen in Davis Cup at number one singles and doubles in the 2014 Americas Zone Group III tie against Panama after a brief stint on the ATP and ITF tours, having qualified for a spot on the Davis Cup team based on his performance winning 2 of 3 singles matches in the Davis Cup trials.

He won the ATA Men’s Open singles national championship at 19 years old and held that organization’s number-one ranking for 2 continuous years. In addition to numerous collegiate awards, including all-American and academic all-American honors, he enjoyed a distinguished run in the juniors, winning the Boy’s 16s ATA national singles title at 14 years old at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York and numerous other titles.

In his tender years, he was formally trained by elite coaches at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Bradenton, FL, Port Washington Tennis Academy on Long Island, and with legendary coach Norman Wilkerson in Atlanta, GA. Always patient and resourceful, Coach Vinny is eager to focus on developing the game for students at all levels from beginners to active competitive players.

As a lifelong Atlanta native and passionate tennis player, Coach Gedasse is thrilled to be a part of the team at Agape Tennis Academy. His journey with the sport began at the age of nine at the South Fulton Tennis Center, sparking a lifelong dedication to the game. Throughout his youth and high school career at North Springs Charter, he remained heavily involved in athletics, lettering in tennis, football, and wrestling, and eventually competing at the collegiate level for Tuskegee University.

Beyond his athletic background, he is deeply committed to community service and the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles. As an Eagle Scout and founder of a local BSA troop in East Point, he has seen firsthand the positive impact that mentorship and sport can have on others. Whether he is on the court or working with the community, his goal is to share his love for tennis and empower players of all levels to prioritize their wellness and reach their personal best.