Serving a lifetime of tennis
to the Winston-Salem community.
Whether you're an advanced tournament player or playing for your first time, Tennis for Life has you covered.
ABOUT
Welcome.
We strive to provide tennis players of all ages and levels the opportunity to continuously improve their love of tennis. Our mission is to create beginner programs that introduce our youngest players to the fundamentals of tennis, a preparation academy to train university and college bound players, and a community that fosters the development and love of tennis for adults. At TFLA, our philosophy is that everyone in the greater Winston-Salem area can learn to play tennis and starting the game should be affordable.
COACHING STAFF
Meet our team of pros.
John Worsley
FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR
John brings with him great enthusiasm for the game of tennis and a lifelong career as an experienced tennis coach. John played college tennis at Winston-Salem State University prior to receiving his USPTR tennis teaching certification at the Van Der Meer Tennis Center in Hilton Head, SC.
In Winston-Salem he served as Director of Tennis at Omni Sports Club, Body Check Fitness Center, and later Winston-Salem Athletic Club teaching tennis to children and adults at all levels. His experience as a varsity tennis team coach includes several years at Summit Junior High School, West Forsyth High School, and Reynolds
High School. John has also trained nationally ranked players as a head coach at the USTA Zone Team Championships at Wake Forest University and a hitting coach at the USTA Girls 18’s National Championships. His most rewarding tennis coaching experience has been as a coach to his two daughters Loni and Kara, both nationally ranked juniors who played NCAA Division I tennis at NC State and Columbia University respectively.
John joined the Randy Pate Tennis Academy in 2009 where he trained juniors on the court and served as the RPTA's Head Racket Stringer and Office Manager. Since RPTA’s relocation out of state, John is now proudly establishing TFLA where he continues to share his wealth of tennis knowledge, leading tennis players of all ages to fulfill their highest potential and become masters of the sport for life.
Loni Worsley
PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND HEAD ACADEMY INSTRUCTOR
Loni started her tennis career at a very young age under the direction of her father, John. Committing to before and after school practice sessions, she quickly blossomed from a beginner to a top ranked junior in her region. She held a top five NC state ranking from age 14 to 18, including the number one spot in the girls’ 16 and under division.
Loni was a dedicated team player for Reynolds High School, playing in the number one spot for four years and leading the team to the finals of the NC State Dual HS Team Playoffs for three years including one championship victory. Loni was awarded as a High School All-American.
Success traveling to compete in tournaments nationwide gained Loni a national ranking and the opportunity to be recruited by university teams. From the USTA National Hard Courts to the National Grass Courts, years of hard work paid off when she received a full athletic scholarship to NC State University.
After a successful singles and doubles career at NC State, Loni transitioned to teaching tennis as an instructor at Cary Tennis Center, IBM Research Triangle Park, Millbrook Exchange Park, and Lochmere Tennis & Swim Club. She has since returned to Winston-Salem, coaching tennis at Forsyth Country Day School, Randy Pate Tennis Academy, and for Winston-Salem Tennis programs.
Loni brings her experience as a lifelong competitive tennis player at the highest level to TFLA, helping students to seek a balance as student-athletes in order to achieve longevity and success in their tennis careers.
Michael Gutteriez
ACADEMY INSTRUCTOR
A native of Monterey, California, Michael has enjoyed tennis from an early age. He was an outstanding high school player with county and state accolades in Monterey where he played the number two position in the team's lineup.
Michael is an avid 4.5 USTA NC Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles League player and is currently ranked in the top 35 in the state for both singles and doubles. He is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University and currently serves as a firefighter for the Winston-Salem Fire Department.
Michael enjoys his time on the court as an Instructor at TFLA hitting the ball with juniors and challenging them to improve their game.
Tiffany Speas Noel
ACADEMY INSTRUCTOR
A native of Winston-Salem, Tiffany was a multi-sport athlete starting from a young age – playing both tennis and basketball. She went on to play on the varsity team for both sports at East Forsyth High School. Her tremendous athletic talent shined as she held the number one spot on her tennis team in both singles and doubles and was voted MVP throughout her four years. Tiffany was also Player of the Year in her conference for three years and awarded All-Conference for four straight years – losing only one conference match during that time. She was recently inducted into the East Forsyth High School Hall of Fame.
Tiffany competed in USTA state, sectional, and national tournaments as a junior. She ranked as high as 8 in North Carolina and 30 in the Southern Section. Tiffany’s accomplishments as a junior player helped earn her a full athletic scholarship to play NCAA Division I tennis at Howard University in Washington, D.C. At Howard, she was awarded Conference Freshman Player of the Year, played top three of the starting lineup for four years in singles and doubles, and achieved the ITA Scholar-Athlete award for two years.
As an adult, Tiffany continues her lifelong love of competitive tennis, playing both singles and doubles on a 4.5 level. As a TFLA Instructor, Tiffany enjoys being on the court training all levels of junior players and helping the next generation of student-athletes reach their goals.
Brent Carlton
Brent is a fitness enthusiast who has been involved in athletics including weightlifting and endurance training throughout his entire life. He shares his passion for staying fit when working with kids in numerous sport disciplines. Brent has experience as both a youth basketball and flag football team coach. He currently serves as the captain for a championship winning adult kickball team in Winston-Salem.
Brent also enjoys training for and competing in obstacle course races. He has completed numerous endurance
FITNESS INSTRUCTOR
races including Tough Mudder--a hardcore 10-12 mile obstacle course in the mud, Spartan Race, and the BattleFrog Obstacle Race Series.
Brent works closely with TFLA students on and off the court, helping our students achieve and maintain the level of physical fitness and stamina required to play their best tennis game.