Louis Ballantyne
Director of Tennis
lb@thefyc.org
Louis Ballantyne’s love for tennis was cultivated during a childhood spent accompanied by the bright sun and white sands of Freeport, Bahamas. Two years after picking up tennis, Louis won the Boys 12 Bahamian Doubles Nationals, and one year later found himself moving to Apopka, Florida, where he would finish his junior career ranked in the top 20 in Florida. After graduating from the University of North Florida, where he was an All-American in 1988, Louis spent two summers in Germany playing professional team tennis and traveling Europe playing ATP futures events.
From 1988 to 1993, Louis also taught and coached tennis at Oakbridge Racket Club and The Marriott at Sawgrass, as well as Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs. During this high-energy period of flourishing success, Louis coached several top-ranked Florida juniors as well as several touring pros. Among those juniors was Caroline Kuhlman, whose ranking improved from #300 to top 70 while under Louis’ tutelage on the WTA tour, an ascension whose highlights included Kuhlman hitting with former world #1 Monica Seles.
Louis took on the next big challenge in his young career when be became the Director of Tennis at the Florida Yacht Club. The FYC tennis program has flourished with Louis at the helm, growing from 6 adult teams and 15 active juniors to more than 40 adult teams and 200 active juniors. 50+ juniors coached by Louis have gone on to receive college tennis scholarships, and many of Louis’ adult and junior teams have been coached to State and Sectional CHampionships and one National Title. The Florida Yacht Club junior program has grown to become one of the elite programs in Northeast Florida featuring nearly 50 ranked juniors along with numerous collegiate tennis athletes.
Louis is a USPTA Elite certified professional, and has remained very active with the USPTA, pursuing extensive continuing education and serving on several committees. In addition, he received his USTA High Performance Coaching Certificate in 2002, another program with which Louis has remained very active. He has received several professional awards including the First Coast Tennis Foundation Director of Tennis Award and the USPTA Player of the Year Award three times. Louis has continued to be a successful tennis player since joining the Florida Yacht Club in 1993, having been ranked in the top 5 in Florida and the top 10 nationally in USPTA, including 2013 #1 ranking in the Men’s 45 Doubles.
Danielle Wiggins
Director of Junior Development
wiggy@thefyc.org
Danielle grew up in the FYC Junior Program in the late 90s and became probably the most accomplished junior ever to come out of our program. Danielle was ranked in the top 10 in Florida, played #1 singles and doubles for University of South Carolina where she was an All American and ranked in the top 20 NCAA. Danielle then went on to play professionally where she achieved a world ranking but her pro career, unfortunately, was cut short due to shoulder surgery. Danielle has spent the last 6 years working with juniors at all levels from red ball to world ranked at the JTCC academy at the Bolles High School. Danielle is very passionate about tennis and fitness and loves to share her passion with all ages and levels.