Coaches
Champions Who Love to Teach
Meet the team behind PoP: certified, seasoned, and genuinely good at helping players improve and feel welcome.
The team
Meet your coaches!
Certified, seasoned, and genuinely good at helping players improve and feel welcome.
Lee Martin
Founder of PoP · Dr. PoP himself!
A national Senior Olympic champion in 2022 and PPR-licensed instructor since 2018, Lee fell for pickleball's all-ages, equalizing strategy after 60 years of tennis. He teaches PoP's boot camps (over 500 have been introduced to the game by him), offers private lessons, and drops in on drill-and-play sessions to help level up your game. His background as a doctor of mechanical engineering helps him diagnose shot mechanics and rally strategies that improve your game.
Lisa Duong
Instructor · PPR-certified
A 2020 PPR-certified coach who teaches every level, Lisa brings 18+ years of USTA 4.5 tennis and a wicked topspin forehand to the court. As a competitive tennis player, she has the insights for the transition to successful pickleball from tennis, not just tennis on a little court! Her high energy and friendly style bless all of her students. She offers individual and small-group lessons to sharpen your game and your strategy.
Mike Lucas
Instructor · Gold medalist · PPR-certified
A lifelong tennis player and two-time national mixed-doubles champion, Mike traded his racquet for a paddle and never looked back. A multiple gold medalist in regional tourneys, he is the reigning Tennessee Senior Olympics gold medalist at the 4.5 65+ level. His power game, misdirection drop shots, and two-hand backhand roll are specialties he can teach you to master. He conducts private and small-group lessons and loves helping folks improve.
Chris Tabeling
Instructor · IPTPA Level 1 certified
Chris came to pickleball from another racquet sport, racquetball. His blistering volleys and fast hands make him a champion on the court. He was the gold medalist at the 2022 Atlanta Open, earning a golden ticket to the USA National Championships. Recently he earned a silver at the PPA Bristol Open (4.5 50+) and a gold at the 2024 Rocky Top Classic. Chris brings real tournament experience, strategic insight, and a patient coaching style to private, group, and boot-camp sessions.
Learn from the best
Learn from a national Senior Olympic champion.
Dr. PoP is a PPR-licensed instructor (since 2018) and a 2022 National Senior Olympics doubles champion (65+, 4.0+). He's taught 500+ Knoxvillians how to play the right way. You might as well learn from the best.
"A few years ago, I was right where you might be now, staring down retirement with a lot of energy and nowhere to put it. Pickleball was the perfect answer: physical activity, fast mental decisions, and many new friends."
I’d played tennis for 50 years, but the court started to get harder to cover and my powerful serve diminished. As I approached retirement from teaching engineering, I found a love I never expected: pickleball. It’s chess on a court, not just speed and strength! I love nothing better than taking on my 30-year-old sons-in-law and giving them a run for their money. I didn’t want to shrink my world to the couch. Pickleball was my answer, activity, fitness, mental agility, and a host of new friends. It’s my healthy addiction. Now I play four or five times a week, I’ve made more friends than I can count, and I feel, and maybe look, ten years younger.
I built the Pavilion of Pickleball so I could share this same joy with you. Come as you are, in sneakers, and we’ll teach you the game the right way from your very first swing.
Your first stop
The PoP Boot Camp.
New to the game, or knocking off the rust? In two focused hours you'll learn to play the game the right way, from the rules to shot mechanics to real strategy, and you'll laugh and meet new friends along the way.
Two focused hours. A whole new game.
The curriculum
What you'll learn.
Our coaches have taught 500+ people through this boot camp over the past six years.
Learn the game the right way
For anyone who wants to learn the game the right way, whether you're brand new or have played casually for years without ever learning the key strategies. You'll pick up three channels of knowledge: the rules, shot mechanics, and winning strategy for the four fundamental shots.
- Introductions and physical warmup
- The Serve, start the point with a legal underhand serve
- The Return, use the two-bounce rule to your advantage
- The Dink, a consistent ball that can't be attacked
- The Dink Game, a fun, competitive way to sharpen your touch
- The Volley, taking the ball at the kitchen, plus the key rules
- Putting it all together, scoring, court positioning, and strategy
You'll leave knowing why pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country, and maybe with a new habit that brings Fun, Friends, and Fitness.
The offer
Everything you need to start.
Per person
One flat price for the full 2-hour clinic.
Membership Bonus
Bootcamp Bonus includes your first month of PoP membership FREE, an additional $59 value.
Small groups
Capped at 8, so you get real attention.
One session
Walk in curious, walk out playing.
Limited-time offer. Ask the front desk for the next available date.
Come meet us.
The best way to know if PoP is your place is to come play. Call and we'll get you started.