Tennis Coach. Builder.
Sarasota Local.
USPTA Elite Professional with 30+ years coaching. Founder of SRQ Tennis. Developing young athletes through evidence-based coaching and small-group programs at public parks across Sarasota.
The Six Pillars
The coaching philosophy behind every SRQ Tennis program.
Accuracy Before Everything
Placement before power. 8 out of 10 to the target before we push the pace.
Live Ball Is the Method
Real rallies, real situations. Fed balls and machines don't teach match play.
Technique Is Geometry
Center contact, square face. We coach the contact, not the choreography.
Confidence Is Built
Evidence, not flattery. We track progress with real numbers so players know they're improving.
Conditioning in Order
Joint mobility, then muscle activation, then high intensity. The right order matches the player's stage.
Channel the Fire
Competitive frustration is fuel. We teach the Between-Point Routine to harness it.
From the Blog
Michael Boothman on Anticipation: Why Great Sarasota Juniors Read the Player, Not Just the Ball
Michael Boothman explains how anticipation — reading an opponent's cues before contact — is trained in Sarasota juniors, and why a ball machine can't teach it.
A Sarasota Parent's Guide to Competition Nerves: Helping Your Junior Play Freely
Michael Boothman on why Sarasota junior tennis players get nervous before matches, and the evidence-based routine that turns those nerves into better tennis.
The Defensive Lob-and-Recover Drill: Teaching Sarasota Juniors to Buy Time
Michael Boothman breaks down a live-ball defensive lob drill for Sarasota juniors — how to reset a point under pressure and recover court position.