Today we’d like to introduce you to Keeley Phillips.
Keeley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My tennis coaching journey began while I was in High School where I would help my private coach with group lessons and summer camps. I absolutely LOVED getting to help people learn the sport and share my knowledge of the game. I, unfortunately, had to take a step back from not only coaching but playing for well over a year when I was diagnosed with chronic Lyme Disease and became completely bedridden. After regaining my health and strength (through a LONG battle), I was able to return to the game and even went on to play for the women’s tennis team at Concordia University Texas. While on the team, I kept receiving requests from people to give them private lessons. It really began as a little hobby/side hustle because my “adult plan” after college was to work at my parent’s insurance agency. After graduating, I was able to ramp up my coaching hours and met my business partner Alex who was working at another local tennis academy. One day, I jokingly said “we should start our own academy!”… Then we both realized that joke was actually a great idea!! That little joke is what gave life to the Mack Phillips Tennis Academy. and made me take a step away from the Insurance industry. We started out small just doing contracts for “pop up” clinics in neighborhoods that had private courts. I was later able to purchase my own facility right next to the Forest Creek Golf Course. We have grown from just the two of us to having three assistant coaches working with us.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh my gosh… it has definitely not been smooth sailing, but I feel so blessed to be where I am at right now. The initial struggle was finding court space. Luckily the former Country Club located by my house went under new ownership that planned to use the clubhouse as a public restaurant (The Oaks at Forest Creek) instead of being an inclusive country club, which is how I was able to purchase the courts. After that problem was solved… COVID hit. We were shut down for several weeks with what seemed like no end in sight. Making a huge investment in a facility FRESH out of college was stressful enough but only heightened by the unknowns of the pandemic. Luckily, things started to turn around after the shutdown. Tennis actually gained popularity because of how social distancing friendly it is.
I would say another challenge has been learning the ropes. Starting a business doesn’t come with a user manual. You have to just learn as you go. While this has been challenging, it’s also been quite fun and has helped me as a person become more adaptable to situations.
We’ve been impressed with Mack Phillips Tennis Academy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Mack Phillips Tennis Academy is your go to for learning or improving your tennis skills. We teach ages 3+ and offer both private and group instruction for all levels. I would say that our motto really sets us apart; we “meet players where they are and take them to where they want to be.” We work with a really wide variety of players who have vastly different goals/needs. Some of our players are kids that dream of playing at the collegiate level and others are couples who just want to learn the game and get a good workout in. Whatever the case may be, I feel that we do a good job of making sure that players are getting what they want out of their lessons. Another big differentiator for us if our flexibility with group lessons. Many places lock you into contracts or make you register for a whole month of classes at a time. We realize that life happens, so we offer flexible, single-class registration.
Pricing:
- Private lessons $60 per hour
- Group Lessons $20 per session
Contact Info:
- Email: mackphillipstennis@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.phillipstennis.com/
- Instagram: mackphillipstennis
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mackphillipstennis/
