Lessons

Andrew Conover is from Pflugerville, TX, where he grew up playing in USTA junior tournaments from the age of 14. He moved to North Little Rock, AR in 2017 upon separating from the United States Marine Corps where he served from 2011-2017. He studied at the University of Central Arkansas where he received a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science and a Master of Science in Athletic Training. Before he began coaching at Burns Park in 2017, he spent a year as a teaching professional in Abuja, Nigeria from 2014-2015. Andrew is USPTR certified – his certifications include juniors (11-17 year-olds) and adult clinics. He is currently competing at the 4.5 NTRP level and plays in leagues and tournaments. He enjoys teaching because of the wide array of people and personalities. He has a passion for tennis and wants to share that passion helping junior players and adults to reach their goals.  

Becky Sherman was born and raised in Little Rock, AR in a tennis-playing family. As a junior player in Arkansas, she was ranked top in the state and top 150 in the south throughout all age divisions. She went to Little Rock Central High School playing #1 singles all four years. She made it to the state tournament each year and competed in the overalls. She played collegiate tennis at Hendrix College from 2016 to 2020. During her freshman year, the Hendrix women’s team was regionally ranked for the first time since 2007. She played #1 singles and #1 doubles for her last 3 years as team captain before her senior year was cut short due to COVID. Becky graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Anthropology. Throughout her adult career, she has competed in numerous state and sectional championships playing spring, mixed, tri-level, and combo USTA leagues. She has also made it to the national championships twice so far. She began teaching tennis at Rebsamen Tennis Center in the fall of 2020 and moved to Burns Park at the beginning of 2024. Becky is currently working towards gaining an official teaching certification. Her favorite thing about teaching is introducing the sport to new players. She loves being a small part in teaching someone a new lifelong hobby. 

Bill Bodie grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas where he began playing tennis seriously at the age of 14. He was ranked #1 as a junior in Arkansas and played at the collegiate level for the University of Arkansas for 3 years. He graduated with a BSBA in Finance and Real Estate with honors. He has played on numerous USTA league teams at state, sectional, and national levels, and he has spent many years representing Arkansas in the Callen Cup (a.k.a. Southern Senior Cup) Championship. Most recently, his 9.0 Men’s 65 and over team became national champions in 2024. Bill is going on his 35th year as a certified USPTA Elite Pro. The Arkansas Tennis Association (ATA) has named him a Professional of the Year. As an ATA volunteer, he has served on the Junior Tennis Council, the Hall of Fame Committee, and the Grievance Committee. He served as the chairman of Ranking Appeals, and Junior and Adult Ranking committees. He served on the ATA Board of Directors and was one of the first chairmen of the Junior Ranking Committee, and was the Adult Ranking Committee chairman for the Men’s 60 and 65 age divisions for the Southern Tennis Association. He has spent his entire teaching career in Central Arkansas. He teaches all levels from elite juniors to 70 year-old beginners. When he is not playing or teaching tennis, he enjoys hunting. His favorite thing about teaching tennis is seeing a student “get it.” 

Jimbo Hobson grew up in Arkansas where he played junior tennis and high school tennis. He was ranked #1 in the Mixed Open in 1985. He began teaching at Burns Park in 1977, and from there he taught in Hot Springs, AR for 20 years. During that time, he served as the Director of Tennis at the Belvedere Country Club as well as the Hot Springs Athletic Club. He then became the Director of Tennis at Henson Park for 15 years. Jimbo is a certified USPTA Elite Pro and has been a tester USPTA clinician for 25 years. He has also been named Arkansas Tennis Professional of the Year by the Arkansas Tennis Association. He loves seeing his student’s children coming out to play, his student’s children’s children, and next his student’s children’s children’s children.

Luis Tirado is a former college tennis player and experienced tennis coach turned pickleball pro! With a strong background in racquet sports, Luis has transitioned his expertise to the pickleball court, helping players of all levels improve their skills and enjoy the game. As a college tennis player, Luis competed at the NCAA D1 and D2 level, honing his skills in strategy, technique, and mental toughness. After college, he spent 4 years coaching tennis, working with players of all ages and skill levels to develop their games. In 2019, Luis discovered pickleball and was immediately drawn to its fast-paced, social, and addictive nature. He quickly fell in love with the sport and saw an opportunity to bring his tennis expertise to the pickleball community. Today, Luis runs pickleball clinics and lessons, sharing his knowledge of racquet sports and passion for pickleball with players across the region. His coaching style is focused on building strong fundamentals, such as technique, improving shot selection, and developing effective strategies for success on the court. Whether you’re a seasoned tennis player looking to transition to pickleball or a beginner eager to learn, Luis is here to help. His unique background and expertise make him the perfect coach to help you take your pickleball game to the next level!

Ricardo Dercatshoff is a former tennis player from Ribeirao Preto, Brazil. Since he was nine years old, Ricardo always aspired for a career as a tennis player until he was recruited to play for a D2 school. He started giving tennis lessons when he was 16 years old and now he is a very experienced tennis and pickleball pro. He volunteered at a summer camp in the Summer of 21’ and in the Summer of 22’ he spent 4 months coaching both tennis and pickleball in New York. He was part of a tennis club called Willowbrook and also helped in the International Tennis Academy of Armonk. He now coaches at Burns Park as a tennis and pickleball pro. He operates private and clinics for tennis, and for pickleball he operates privates, groups, clinics, leagues, and tournaments.