Our Team

Chris has built a successful coaching career in New Zealand and the United States, spanning multiple levels of play, and numerous leadership roles.

Before Level Up Tennis, Chris worked with two highly distinguished tennis academies:

• Director of Tennis at Tucker Tennis Academy (TTA) in Oklahoma

• Director of Player Development at LTP Tennis Academy in South Carolina

Prior to this, Chris spent eight years in Auckland, collaborating with Dwayne Cleugh to grow Sparta Tennis into New Zealand’s largest tennis academy. During this time, Sparta won 50+ age group national championships between singles and doubles. 

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be back in New Zealand, and especially to join such a fantastic club like Browns Bay Racquets,” says Chris. “My coaching journey—particularly over the past year in the U.S.—has been incredibly rewarding and eye-opening. It’s given me a renewed appreciation for everything New Zealand has to offer, both in my career and personal life. I’m genuinely excited to make BBRC my long-term home.”

As a junior competitive player, Ben won multiple North Harbour and Auckland age group championships, leading to being ranked in the Top 15 nationally in all age groups.

Continuing his competitive career, Ben earned a tennis scholarship to Bluefield College in Virginia, USA. After completing his freshmen year season with an undefeated 11-0 win streak, he was awarded: 

• Freshman of the Year honours

• All-Freshman First Team 

• All-Conference First Team for the Appalachian Athletic Conference.

Now coaching at Level Up Tennis, Ben specialises in tournament-level players, advanced adult players and junior players progressing towards competitive play. 

During her time at Westlake Girls High School, Lauren was selected for the exclusive, high-performance programme, Cygnet, for top competitive athletes, where she represented her school in tournaments and inter-school competitions.

Lauren is passionate for supporting her local tennis community, with roles such as:

• Love Tennis Youth Lead Ambassador 2025

• Browns Bay Racquets Club website designer and administrator

• Supporting Junior Conveyor 2025

At Level Up Tennis, Lauren specialises in group and private coaching of beginner junior and adult players. Additionally, Lauren brings her unique off-court skill set with her Bachelor of Art and Design by managing the operations and marketing for Level Up Tennis. 

Johnny is passionate for a wide variety of sports, and on his first visit to New Zealand, he found his love for tennis. During school, Johnny competed in both junior and senior tournament teams.

At Level Up Tennis, Johnny provides a unique skill of specialising in:

• English and Mandarin fluent tennis lessons

• Providing a strong foundation of proper tennis technique

• Tailoring lessons to suit individuals and their personal tennis journey