Mark Bowers

I am a lifelong tennis player and former D-1 and eventual D-3 player.  Ended my collegiate career as a Nationally ranked (ITA) with Division 3 at Illinois College and graduated as the all-time singles and doubles wins leader there.  Coached both my kids in tennis and traveled (still do travel with them) the world.  Tyler my son plays at University of Illinois on the mens tennis team and plays 1 doubles and mid-line up singles.  He has ATP rankings in singles and doubles and plans to play the tour when he graduates next May.  My daughter Ashton was the #2 ranked American recruit in the 2024 grad class and played #1-4 at Texas as a freshman and is going to be at Auburn next year as a sophomore.  She has high ITA National Collegiate rankings in both singles and doubles and has been in the top 500 WTA by age 18.  She also played the Jr Slams.  I built and owned Bloomington Tennis and Turf in Bloomington IL where I was the director of tennis and then pickleball came into our lives.  So, I've taught tennis privately and in clinics for 32 years now at all ability levels and I've taught pickle in clinics and semi-private groups since 2020 as well.  I've mentored and hired several teaching pros in both tennis and pickleball.  Having turned age 50 now and recovered from an ACL injury, I've mostly turned to play pickleball as my tennis court coverage frustrates me in older years.  I can teach and run either tennis and pickleball clinics/groups and run whatever needs run, but prefer pickle these days.  My wife and I reside in Alpharetta, GA and are empty nesters now with the kids playing college tennis so our days are spent working and watching them in their tennis journeys.  I also spend a lot of time playing pickleball and enjoy it a lot.