Matt graduated from College of the Holy Cross in 2021 where he played four years of Division I tennis and captained the team his junior and senior years. He is now another tennis player turned 5.0+/Pro tournament pickleball player! Matt co-founded First Serve Tennis in 2020 with his good friend Aaron before the two of them fell in love with pickleball and created Montclair Pickleball.

During his career as a coach, he has taught tennis and pickleball to over 2000 players and has experience teaching both kids and adults. Matt takes an adaptive, goal oriented approach to his coaching strategies and is always looking to share his experience and spread his passion for the game. For Matt, the most important thing is helping his students accomplish their goals, no matter how big or small, while enjoying the game of pickleball.

Aaron grew up in and lives in Montclair, NJ, went to Montclair High School, and graduated from the University of Maryland. He’s a pickleball lover, 5.0+/Pro tournament player, and co-founder of Montclair Pickleball.

Aaron grew up playing tennis, began teaching at 16, and eventually started an academy in Montclair called First Serve Tennis with his good friend Matt. He thought tennis would be his main passion, but was introduced to pickleball during his freshman year of college when he met and developed a friendship with future World No. 1 pickleball player Ben Johns (who convinced him to try it).

Aaron has now coached over 2000 pickleball and tennis players of all ages and levels, and frequently competes in tournaments. He loves sharing his passion for pickleball with others, and helping players improve their game while having a great time.

Adam lives in Montclair, NJ with his wife and three kids. He played college tennis and golf at Wesleyan University, but “pickleball stole his heart”. Adam competes in tournaments at the 4.5 level and has won medals, which he proudly displays in his room.

You may also find Adam performing on stage with his twin brother as part of the comedy duo, “Stone and Stone.”

The name “Adam Stone” is actually also the name of a professional pickleball player on tour. So this Adam may not be the best pickleball player named “Adam Stone,” but he is quite confident that he is the second best pickleball player named “Adam Stone” in the WORLD!

Adams loves helping players learn the game and get better, while having LOTS of fun.

Alex grew up in Marlton, NJ, and currently lives in Hammonton, NJ. He’s a 5.0+/pro level tournament player, and absolutely lives and breathes pickleball.

Alex grew up playing a variety of sports including tennis. At 15, he began teaching tennis to kids and adults. Although his main passion was hockey, Alex always thought tennis would be the sport he would play forever…until he found pickleball.

In 2019, Alex discovered pickleball, and just like most people, was instantly hooked. He has now been teaching clinics and private/group lessons for 4+ years, and has helped 1000s of students.

For Alex, there is no greater reward then a call or text from an excited student after successfully executing a new shot, or a picture of them after winning a medal.

Julie LaBattaglia currently lives in Rutherford, NJ, and is a competitive singles and doubles player. She loves the game of pickleball, as well as helping others love it too.

Julie started off as a tennis player, and was introduced to tennis by the great Arthur Ashe during a summer clinic offered to NYC youth. After college, she became an educator in NYC/NJ for 25+ years in both public and private Montessori schools.

Julie has always promoted a healthy and fitness-conscious lifestyle which includes yoga, creative movement and running. She strongly believes that self-motivation along with a positive and encouraging environment are the keys to athletic improvement at any age.

Since retiring from the high-tech industry, Kevin found pickleball about four years ago and became instantly hooked just like millions of others. He is IPTPA certified and loves to teach and coach.

As a coach, Kevin brings his 15+ years of experience coaching youth basketball, baseball and soccer to the pickleball court, with a focus on helping players improve, little by little, while making sure they’re always having fun. His goal is to introduce pickleball to as many people as possible and share the joy of the sport.

Kevin pays very close attention to an individual’s physical abilities and specific needs so he can help them with what they need the most.

Barbara lives in Glen Rock, NJ with her pickleball-playing husband and teenage daughters. She found pickleball over 4 years ago and was immediately hooked.

Barbara loves helping new players progress through learning the fundamentals and strategies of the game. Barbara believes mastering the fundamentals of pickleball is essential to the sport, and loves seeing new players build their skills and confidence on the court while having a great time!

Leo grew up in Montclair, NJ where he served as captain and first singles for Montclair High School’s varsity tennis team. He played college tennis for Bates College, and went on to coach tennis for First Serve Tennis. He later discovered pickleball through co-founders Aaron and Matt, and now plays at the 5.0 level.

Leo is a gifted athlete, an experienced and passionate coach, and is an amazing addition to the Montclair Pickleball coaching family.

Lucia is from Verona, NJ and has been playing pickleball for over 5 years. She first played at JMU in 1995 when she & her friends wanted to try something new. She’s a tennis-lover turned pickleball-lover who still plays both regularly. She’s happily married to her Army husband and competes in tournaments at the 4.5+ level in addition to still playing USTA national tennis tournaments.

Lucia currently works as a Realtor and Real Estate Investor while also teaching pickleball. Her primary focus is for everyone to love pickleball and to connect people within the pickleball community.

Joel was an early adopter of pickleball when he picked up a paddle 7 years ago. He has been playing at the 5.0+/pro level for the past 3 years, having medaled in many tournaments including a gold in 5.0 doubles at the 2023 New York City Open.

Joel absolutely loves pickleball and is especially excited to help intermediate and advanced level players move up the ranks and improve their technique as well as matchplay strategy.

Joel's favorite thing about pickleball is the people. "We are a growing group of amazing humans that come together to play the greatest game around.”

Chrissy is a former competitive tennis player turned pickleball enthusiast. From her early days playing in USTA Junior tournaments to her time on TCNJ's Division III tennis team, Chrissy developed a competitive spirit and love of sports.

Chrissy began playing pickleball in 2021 and quickly became passionate about the sport, now competing in mixed and women's 4.5+ doubles tournaments. Her previous experience as a tennis instructor has translated into the pickleball world, where she now coaches and encourages others to improve their skills and enjoy the game to the fullest.

Andrew lives and breathes high-performance training and high-level pickleball. He has been a performance training coach for 10+ years working with some of the top junior and pro tennis players in the world, helping them get in peak shape and maximum their performance on the court. Additionally, Andrew has spent 14+ years coaching tennis and 2+ years coaching pickleball.

Andrew began his pickleball journey 4 years ago, earning a silver medal in his first ever tournament (a 5.0+ Men’s Open). He consistently medals in 5.0 events, and currently has a 6.04 DUPR rating.

Matt lives in Somerville, NJ, and is a massive sports fan. He picked up pickleball in 2023 and immediately fell in love with the sport after spending many years competing in tennis and soccer.

Matt has worked in sports media for the nearly a decade, covering major events across America and building out his own social media following.

He loves interacting with everyone in the pickleball community, especially those that are looking to up their games to the next level.

Mike is a Montclair, New Jersey native with over 20 years of playing and coaching experience. He grew up playing tennis, played D1 college tennis for Sacred Heart University, and served as the assistant tennis coach for the men’s tennis team at Army West Point.

While Mike still plays and coaches tennis, co-founders Aaron and Matt got him into pickleball which he quickly excelled at. Mike’s goal is to help new playMrs learn and grow their game, just as Aaron and Matt did for him.

Kimberly (also known as “Kimbo”), grew up in Baltimore and currently lives in Livingston, NJ with her husband and two children.

She was introduced to pickleball in 2020, and it was love at first sight (and now an addiction). She loves the sport for its social, multigenerational, and physical aspects. Kimbo also trains and competes in tournaments at the 4.0+ level.

 Her focus as a coach is to make a profound impact on the experience players on the court with her have. She is happiest when her students can step on a court and feel good about their game, enabling them to grow to the next level, and have fun!