Good morning Elliot, it’s a pleasure having you here! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your tennis career.

Hi Mark, my name is Elliot Pegg and I am a Senior Director of Tennis at CDT. I started coaching when I was 16 back in England where I grew up and then decided to move out to USA in 2012. I began working for CDT in Stratton Mountain Resort and was fortunate enough to work and direct multiple clubs around the country. I now live in Southampton, New York and just finished my 8th Season as Director of Tennis at Southampton Racquet Club.

 

Thanks Elliot! Please tell us more about how you became involved with Cliff Drysdale Tennis and now Peter Burwash International, and what your role is now?

I applied to work for Cliff Drysdale during my last year of university in 2011 and moved out on an 18- month trainee internship where I worked at multiple locations including Stratton VT, Amelia Island FL, Hawks Cay, FL and Heber City, UT. As I moved into full time director positions, I took on a Senior Director Role in 2019 where I support other clubs and directors nationwide.

In 2021, when we merged with PBI who were also acquired by TROON, we subsequently doubled in growth. Through this I took on a staffing role for the company overseeing the recruitment for all our clubs and open positions.

 

Please also explain a bit about TENCO and why this specifically effects British LTA certified coaches?

TENCO is a British company that services all Cliff Drysdale and PBI clubs nationwide and globally. It has been noted throughout the history of tennis that the English playing and coaching styles are at the highest level and most sought after by students in the US. One of the reasons for this is the LTA certifications and coaching education which has moulded the English teaching style. Coaches who have completed their LTA certifications and coached in the states have had much success with CDT/PBI and it is therefore necessary to have LTA certifications to work for TENCO.

 

What specific profile of coaches are you looking for to come out to the US to live and work in Country Clubs and Resorts?

We are looking for motivated and experienced coaches who are looking to move to the United States and teach at world class clubs and resorts. As said before, we want LTA qualified coaches to bring their British personality and teaching style to our clubs.

Personally, I am a believer that tennis coaches should work abroad from time to time in their lives to learn from new experiences. What is it for you that makes living in the USA so attractive?

Totally agree! I believe that there are so many more opportunities in the USA in comparison to other countries. One thing that really attracted me was how diverse each state is. There are so many of our clubs where you can coach and be outside all year round and live in different climates in some of the most beautiful parts of the country.

Finally, I believe there is a shortage of top-quality tennis coaches in the US. Tell me why you think this is?

I think the American coaching certifications are very basic in comparison to the LTA certifications. It is very difficult to get a full-time coaching position in the UK without obtaining your LTA certifications which are far more complex and covers a lot more than a standard US coaching qualification. In the USA, a lot of clubs hire college players/coaches who have very little coaching experience and have no certifications. This is why we are excited about TENCO and the prospect of hiring more British tennis coaches who can bring high quality coaching and experience to our clubs.

As always, it was a pleasure talking to Elliot and incredibly interesting to hear his insight in the differences in coaching across the world

 

Until next week,