STC Staff Biographies

Southlake Tennis Center Professional Staff Stephen Poorman - Director of Tennis and Academy Co-Director Stephen started playing tennis when he was 8 years old.  He was a ranked junior in Southern Cailfornia and attended Claremont-McKenna College, where he was a three time All-American and member of the NCAA Division III National Champion team.  He played on the ATP Satellite Circuit for 5 years.  After retiring, Stephen worked as a teaching pro in Sacramento, CA.  He was the women's tennis coach at Sacramento State University and helped run the USTA Training Center at Arden Hills C.C.  After moving to Texas, he attained the #1 ranking in the Men's 35's while working at Canyon Creek CC.  Stephen was one of only 16 tennis pros in the country to play in the prestigious Huggy Bear Invitational in Southampton, NY, which he competed in for 15 years.  Stephen coached several players at the US Open in 2004 and has had a number of players go on to college scholarships both in California and Texas.  He has been at the Southlake Tennis Center since 2000.  He lives in Southlake with his wife Mia and son Sebastian.  He has been a USPTA P1 since 1987.   Amit Massey Information to follow soon Buddy Atkinson As a player, Buddy began competing at age 10 in USTA sanctioned tournaments. Ranked as high as #4 in the Boy’s 18s in the state of Mississippi, he also received the state sportsmanship award, and went on to play four years of NCAA Division II Tennis for Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. He was voted MVP for two consecutive years and also received the Most Improved Award. After becoming a certified USPTA pro, he taught in Mississippi and Texas, coached a men’s college team for a season, and taught tennis classes at Delta State University (MS) and Amarillo College (TX). Before returning to Texas and joining the STC staff, he and his family lived and worked as missionaries in West Africa.