LIFE LONG TENNIS ACADEMY

Can't recommend highly enough. Sammy is an awesome person who's also super knowledgeable about tennis. He's very responsive and easy to book with. I came with minimal experience, and he has helped me improve tremendously with my mechanics and technique. He knows how to deal with different levels of playing experience (my partner played club in middle school and high school) and is super patient when explaining concepts & running drills. I feel comfortable asking him all types of questions, and he makes sure that I understand as well. If you're debating whether or not to book a session, I say do it!

Sammy is an excellent teacher! It has been around 15 years since I played tennis and he was patient and made it fun too! He is a great listener and I learned so much about strokes and footwork. Highly recommend!

Sammy‘s passion is so contagious and my son loved his gentle but very informative coaching style. It’s amazing how Sammy can make all the kids feel special and motivated!

Sammy is a great tennis coach. I started from zero and Sammy has helped up my game and enjoy tennis. His attention to detail and drills are highly effective. Life long also runs group classes so if you're looking for ppl to play with, highly recommend checking it out. A+

I can’t agree more with other reviews that Sammy is a fantastic Coach! He is not only good at what he does, but he also loves what he does. He is very detailed oriented which really helps me understand and learn. Sammy is excellent at teaching all ages. My son who was on the fence about tennis when he first started, now looks forward to his every lesson.

I have worked with many tennis hitting coaches over the years and Sammy is the best. He knows how to listen; he knows his tennis and is easy to understand. He assessed what I’m capable of and has made suggestions that are within my ability to achieve. Sammy is just what I was looking for.

I am a 4.0 player who started playing tennis in my 40's. I've been taking lessons with Sammy for several months now and I have seen a marked improvement in my game. Sammy is very solid when instructing technique, strokes and the physical aspect of the game but really levels up the instruction when infusing strategy and tactics. He's brings great energy to the courts and is fun to work with. Highly recommend him.

Great coach! Very patient and have lots of techniques to help us improve. I took lessons with my husband, at the beginning we can barely rally since we always pick up balls here and there. Now after a few months lessons, we can play together and enjoy the tennis. Lots of thanks to Sammy!

My 6yo kid and his friend has been taking lessons from Sammy for a few weeks now and they've improved quite a bit. Sammy is an amazing tennis coach. He is patient and knows just how to keep the kids focused and engaged.

Sammy is a great coach. As someone new to the sport, I found him to be very patient and good in breaking down the techniques to help form a good swing.
He has good instructional communication, providing self awareness notes to make the right adjustments. After each lesson, he asks "what are your takeaways? " I appreciate this as this forces me to think about what I should focus and practice on.
Sammy is such a good listener and supporter. He matches my excitement when I come back for a lesson with something I've learned or what I've been practicing. He would hear out how I would approach what I've learned and help break down the good habits. Sammy also has a way to tell you "no" or "don't do that" by providing positive feedback.

Though I've seen Sammy coaching private lessons and working with different age groups, my relationship with Sammy started less than 2 years ago when we first played tennis at San Pablo Park. We have been playing tennis ever since and he has seamlessly integrated himself into the East Bay tennis community. Sammy was my team mate on the USTA 18 & over 4.5 Team and has used his extensive tennis knowledge to better improve the players on the team. Aside from the amazing tennis that we've shared on the team, he is also at the forefront of organizing team practices and matches. I can rely on Sammy to communicate effectively to all the other players on the team, as he exhibits positive energy. Through my experience of working and playing tennis with Sammy I've willingly referred numerous players to Sammy because I know how great of a coach and player he is. I've seen his progress just over 2 years with working with the Usta Junior Program, captaining a Usta 2.5-3.0 Women's Team, helping organize our team and his excellent coaching instruction. With his expertise and his extensive tennis knowledge Sammy is an integral part of our tennis community here in the East Bay.

Elliott Nguyen
Co-Captain USTA 18 & over 4.5 Team

Head Coach Men's Tennis
Saint Mary's College High School

Sammy is an excellent and patient instructor. He taught me how to play as a total beginner and as I learned he showed me how to improve my game. He even connected me with a league and other players in my area. If you can get coaching time with Sammy, you should absolutely do it! He’s the best!

My family is so thrilled to have found a tennis coach like Sammy for our 13 year old son. Our son has been playing tennis for sometime now but due to the pandemic, there was a long break in play. The time thus far with Sammy has not only helped his game
and overall fitness but also his attitude. He is now interested in returning to competitive play and has concrete goals when it comes to tennis. Sammy is much more than a tennis coach. He is truly vested in his students and committed to their well being. We hope to soon have our younger child begin private lessons with Sammy as well. He goes above and beyond the coaches I have seen in the world of tennis. We are truly grateful for his time with our son.

Sammy is the best. He is perceptive at your mechanics, and is able to break down your strokes and teach you how to improve them. He is patient and thoughtful. I had the hardest problem with top spin and he hand dropped the balls for periods of my lessons until I got the stroke down enough so the he could hit them to me for me to practice.
He is good with all ages. I am in my 70s and have recently come back to tennis. My serve now is faster and more consistent than it has ever been. He is modernizing my game like with the top spin. He is thoughtful, patient, and warm hearted. And he is very devoted to helping each person improve their game.

I started working with Sammy two years ago and throughout this time I have grown so much as a tennis player - Sammy is truly an incredibly coach. He's kind, patient and continually pushes you to get better. I am beyond grateful to have him as a coach and friend.

Sammy is an amazing coach very nice and patient. Was a 3.5 after working with me for the last several month I am pushing the 4.0 barrier

We started lessons with Coach Sammy about a month ago and I can’t recommend him enough. My kids look forward to their tennis lessons with him. He is patient and strong in teaching the fundamentals of tennis. You can see he truly has a passion for coaching, and seeing the kids excel. We’re so happy we found him!

Sammy’s got amazing attention to detail with tennis and is a great person all around. Highly recommend him for adults who want to improve their game to become more competitive!

Sammy is a fantastic coach. His love of tennis is contagious. He always bring high energy to the court. He is wonderful at explaining and breaking down technique but is also great at talking through strategies to improve your game when playing singles or doubles. I have improved so much thanks to his coaching and am becoming a much more thoughtful and strategic player. He always asks what you want to work on but also always has a plan on how to make lesson or practice very productive. He is also great with kids.

Samuel is great at working with our kids. Teaches technique and fundamentals while keeping the lessons fun and motivating them. Love that he asks them for their key takeaways after every lesson which helps them remember what they learned and can keep practicing.