Tennis Program

Our Vision for Tennis

We use tennis and the principles of sport to build a community of children, youth and adults that work, learn and play hard together.

Since 2024, AIM has partnered with our local USTA Florida organization, Play Tennis Gainesville to instruct our AIM students during the year. Our students will develop footwork, proper technique, and basic strategy allowing them to perform at more advanced levels and eventually become high performance players.

Key Features

We are partnered with the United States Tennis Association (USTA)—under the National Junior Tennis League

Led by renowned coaches George Henry and Ken Collins
Practice occurs at least once a week:
- Tuesdays from 3:00pm - 6:30pm for Middle School students
- Thursdays from 3:00pm - 6:30pm for High School students
- Fridays are open to students who wish to receive extra tennis instruction

Meet Our Tennis Instructors

George Henry

Play Tennis Gainesville Director

Henry@ustaflorida.com

Mr. Henry has an impressive background in tennis management and coaching, now bringing his expertise to Gainesville. Before his role at the Palm Coast Tennis Center, he managed tennis programs in Washington, D.C. (Southeast Tennis and Learning) and New York (Harlem Armory).

He has extensive experience as a high-level instructor in Miami and Delray Beach and has coached college tennis teams in Florida and Pennsylvania. With 30 years as a USPTA P-1 Elite Teaching Professional and a PTR 10 and Under Certification, Mr. Henry is highly qualified.

His tennis journey began in high school in Wilmington, NC, where he earned a tennis scholarship to NCCU in Durham. After graduating, he competed in USTA amateur and professional circuits, during which he connected with Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams.

Mr. Henry played a key role as an advisor in the early development of the Williams sisters.

Throughout his career, Mr. Henry has been a passionate advocate for increasing accessibility and equity in tennis. His 2022 thesis, “Increasing African-American Tennis Player Participation at Selected HBCUs,” highlights the systemic challenges facing HBCU tennis programs and suggests necessary reforms. Recently, he was honored as a “Champion of Tennis” by USTA Florida for his dedication to promoting the sport in his community.

Ken Collins

Play Tennis Gainesville Tennis Instructor

Ken began his tennis career at 16 in Hopewell Junction, NY, competing in junior tournaments before earning a full scholarship to Grambling State University in Louisiana. His skill and commitment made him an all-conference player in the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) for four years in both singles and doubles.

After college, Ken competed on the professional satellite circuit for several years. A connection through a mutual friend and Arthur Ashe led to his appointment as the Davis Cup Coach for Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa. Over the past 20 years, he has coached players and traveled to more than 30 countries, working with WTA and ATP players like Ahsha Rolle, Arpi Kojan, and Clement N’Goran.

His career also includes managing the United States Tennis Federation Inc. in Parkland, FL, where he developed over 10 players ranked in the top 10 of the Florida Section. Most recently, Ken served as the Junior Director at Tri-State Athletic Club in Evansville, Indiana.

Nathan Engh

Play Tennis Gainesville Tennis Instructor

Nathan, hailing from Scranton, Pennsylvania, discovered his love for tennis early on by participating in USTA-sponsored events. In high school, he achieved success by winning district titles in both singles and doubles and competing in the Pennsylvania State Championships three times. Currently, Nathan serves as the Local Youth Play Coordinator for USTA Florida and is a tennis coach here at Aces in Motion in Gainesville.