SPC Coach Showcase: Club and Academy Directors
At SportsProsConnect, we are continuing our coach showcase series, created following a recent poll in our SPC New Job Alerts WhatsApp group.
We asked members: “Which of these roles best represents you as a coach?”
The poll gave us a valuable insight into the different types of coaches within the SPC network and helped highlight the wide range of experience, specialisms and ambitions among our members.
This week, we are focusing on Club and Academy Directors, a category that received 14 votes in the poll.
The role of a Club or Academy Director is one of the most important leadership positions in tennis. It requires more than strong coaching knowledge. A successful director needs to understand player development, team management, programme structure, communication, culture, standards and the long-term vision needed to help a tennis environment grow.
A director is often responsible for bringing coaches, players, parents and staff together around a shared approach. They need to create clear systems, support the development of players and coaches, and build an environment where people want to keep improving.
This week, we are showcasing five SPC coaches who bring leadership experience, international knowledge and a strong understanding of what it takes to manage and develop successful tennis programmes.
Caroline Aubain
Caroline Aubain brings strong management experience and leadership qualities to the role of Club or Academy Director.
Throughout her career in France as a Technical Director, Caroline found that the area she both excelled in and enjoyed most was leading and managing the teams around her. This experience has shaped her understanding of what it takes to create a strong working environment within a tennis club or academy.
Caroline also brings the perspective of a former competitive tennis player. Her playing background, combined with the level of performance she achieved, has helped strengthen her natural leadership qualities and her ability to understand the demands of tennis from both a player and management perspective.
What defines Caroline is her genuine care for people, her passion for sport, her love of challenges and her desire to communicate, interact and work as part of a team. These values drive her every day and form the foundation of her approach to leadership.
For Caroline, successfully leading a tennis academy or club means combining strong management, clear communication and a people-focused approach.
SPC Profile: https://sportsprosconnect.com/profiles/carolineaubain/
Mladen Milanovic
Mladen Milanovic believes a Tennis Director should have a comprehensive understanding of the sport, player development and the people who make tennis programmes successful.
Over the past 17 years, Mladen has worked in Serbia, Austria, Montenegro and the UAE, gaining experience across different cultures, markets and coaching environments. This international background has given him a broad perspective on how to build, manage and improve tennis programmes in a range of settings.
In his hometown of Ćuprija, Serbia, Mladen helped establish one of the country’s leading performance clubs. In Montenegro, he guided three players towards tennis scholarships in the United States. Over the past five years in Dubai, he has progressed from junior coach in an academy to Head Coach of the UAE Tennis Federation, contributing to the development of both players and the national tennis system.
These experiences have shaped Mladen’s approach to long-term player development, leadership and programme management. He is passionate about continuous learning, embracing new challenges and creating lasting improvements that help players, coaches and tennis programmes reach their full potential.
SPC Profile: https://sportsprosconnect.com/profiles/mladentennis/
Instagram: @effortless.tennis
Enzo Borlando
Enzo Borlando brings a wide range of experience across sport, with a particular focus on tennis and ski coaching.
He believes he has the experience, professionalism and leadership qualities needed to manage a tennis club and support the development of coaches, programmes, methodology and training systems.
Enzo has worked passionately in different sporting environments and has developed a clear understanding of how strong leadership can shape the culture and quality of a club. Over time, he has recognised his ability to be a positive leader who brings good values, professionalism and inspiration to the people around him.
For Enzo, the role of a Club or Academy Director is about creating structure, supporting coaches and helping build programmes that are both effective and meaningful for players.
SPC Profile: https://sportsprosconnect.com/profiles/enzoborlando/
Instagram: @enzo.borlando
Nemanja Gavrilovic
Nemanja Gavrilovic brings more than 25 years of coaching experience, strong leadership skills and a genuine passion for developing both players and coaches.
As a Head Coach, Nemanja has successfully managed tennis programmes, mentored coaching teams and supported players of all levels, including a WTA professional, to help them reach their potential.
He believes a great Academy or Club Director should create a positive culture, set high standards and build lasting relationships with players, parents and staff. For Nemanja, leadership is about creating an environment where people enjoy coming to the club, players develop, coaches grow and the academy achieves long-term success.
The qualities that define Nemanja are integrity, professionalism, clear communication, organisation and the ability to motivate others. He leads by example, remains calm under pressure and always focuses on continuous improvement.
SPC Profile: https://sportsprosconnect.com/profiles/nemanja/
Instagram: @guided.tennis
David Talon
David Talon is a Tennis Director with strong experience leading tennis academies in different countries.
He believes there are three key areas that define a successful director. The first is leadership, including the ability to manage a group of coaches and help them work in the same direction while maximising their efficiency both on and off the court.
The second is having wide tennis knowledge and experience, with the ability to implement suitable methodologies across different areas of player development. For David, strong methodology is essential to support appropriate player evolution.
The third is positive team communication. David believes every team member has an important role to play and should contribute to making the academy better, always with mutual respect.
David has recently been working as Tennis Director at WLTA Tennis Academy in Shenzhen, bringing his leadership experience, coaching knowledge and team-focused approach into an international academy environment.
SPC Profile: https://sportsprosconnect.com/profiles/davidtalon/
Instagram: @dafitennis
Are You Looking for a Club or Academy Director?
The SPC network includes experienced coaches and directors from around the world who specialise in club management, academy leadership, player development, team mentoring, programme structure and high performance tennis environments.
If you are a club, academy, federation or tennis organisation looking for an experienced director, SportsProsConnect can help you connect with professionals who are actively looking for new opportunities.
If you are a coach or director, becoming part of the SPC network gives you the chance to promote your experience, showcase your strengths and be seen by employers across the international tennis industry.
To find out more, visit:
Until next week!
