Paul grew up in Philadelphia, PA, where he began playing tennis at age 4. He attended Florida A&M University, competing in Division 1 tennis all four years and earning a B.S. in Business Administration. In 2017, Paul founded the Aurora Tennis Association to bring after-school and summer tennis programs to youth in St. Louis City. In 2020, he co-founded Breakpoint Academy under the Triple A Youth Foundation. Paul is currently a sales manager at Diana Pet Food and has coached tennis privately and in groups throughout the St. Louis area. He oversees Breakpoint’s overall management and strategic direction.
A St. Louis native, Ben began competing in junior tennis tournaments at age 8 and later played varsity tennis at Kirkwood High School, reaching the state championships three times. He continued his tennis career at Knox College. Ben worked for Tenacity, Inc. in Boston, teaching tennis to underserved youth. He holds a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and an MBA, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and a certified School Guidance Counselor, with 14 years of experience working with at-risk youth. A USPTA-certified professional, Ben leads Breakpoint’s tennis and education programming.
Chelsey is a senior at MICDS and a standout on the varsity girls tennis team. A dedicated volunteer with Breakpoint for the past two years, she now serves as a junior pro on staff. Chelsey plans to study biology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Originally from Ghana, Frank moved to Mobile, AL at age 7. He began playing tennis in Nigeria at 11, then continued at the Mobile Tennis Center with his siblings. Frank played Division 2 tennis at Spring Hill College and moved to St. Louis when his wife began law school at Wash U. He helps lead Breakpoint’s indoor clinics and school programs.
Dennis has played tennis for over 20 years and coached students of all ages for more than a decade. He competed in the US Open National Playoffs and various tournaments, with his highlight being Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day in New York. A lefty with a two-handed forehand, Dennis specializes in footwork training. “I eat, breathe, and sleep tennis—it’s a great lifelong sport that builds self-confidence and coordination.”
A lefty with a two-handed forehand who specializes in footwork training.
"I eat, breathe, and sleep tennis! Tennis is a great lifelong sport that builds self-confidence and coordination."
Chris has extensive experience teaching tennis to at-risk youth. He runs Breakpoint’s clinics at Matthews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club and City Academy.
Calvin assists at Sigel Elementary, Gene Slay Girls’ & Boys’ Club, St. Louis Catholic Academy, and the indoor program at Frontenac Racquet Club. A retired Kirkwood firefighter, Calvin has years of experience in World Team Tennis and USTA leagues. He’s active with Gateway Tennis and is a former ATA Tennis member, passionate about sharing the game with young players.
Dominic is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, specializing in computational neural systems and behavior. At Breakpoint, Dominic has three years of experience teaching tennis clinics for K-6 students at City Academy and leading advanced clinics at Frontenac Racquet Club and Highlands Tennis Center. His JTT teams have achieved winning seasons and championships across all age divisions. In recognition of his impact, Dominic was named the 2024 Outstanding Contributor to Youth Tennis at both the St. Louis and Missouri Valley levels. He is known for incorporating neuroscience and biomechanical principles into his instruction and for developing evidence-based teaching methods that promote positive mental habits in young athletes.
Noah is a junior at Westminster Christian Academy, where he plays at the top of the lineup on the varsity tennis team. Noah brings experience from multiple sports, including baseball, basketball, and football, but has focused his passion and teaching on tennis. At Breakpoint, Noah is valued for his ability to connect with players of all personalities and for his enthusiasm in helping young athletes develop their skills and confidence on the court.
Brandon is a senior at Chaminade College Preparatory and a member of the varsity tennis team. Brandon joined Breakpoint as a volunteer to combine his passion for tennis with a commitment to community service. He is dedicated to supporting the growth of each participant, both as players and as individuals, and finds fulfillment in helping Breakpoint athletes reach new milestones in their tennis development.
Filip is a student-athlete at Missouri Baptist University, competing on the nationally ranked men’s tennis team. During his collegiate career, Filip has played primarily in the singles lineup at positions 3 and 4 and earned First Team All-Conference honors in doubles in 2023. He helped his team qualify for the 2025 NAIA Nationals in Mobile, Alabama.
As a junior, Filip was ranked No. 4 in Serbia and reached the top 30 in Europe, and he competed in the German leagues with Tennisakademie Schwarz-Gelb Heidelberg, winning a conference title in 2016. Filip’s coaching experience includes roles at Woodsmill Racquet Club, Old Warson Country Club, Forest Hills Country Club, and Vetta Frontenac. He also helps manage the Missouri Baptist tennis team, gaining valuable leadership and operational experience. Filip is committed to fostering both athletic and personal growth in the Breakpoint program.
Bolanle leads U&I-RISE, a company dedicated to adult education and training that addresses challenges Black Americans face in education, work, and community life. A certified African-centered educator, Bolanle shifted from teaching young children to parenting education and staff training after recognizing that adults are often the root of children’s struggles.
Her book "Tapping Our Parental Power (In a Nutshell)" inspired a parenting curriculum used in workshops with over 1,000 parents since 2008. Her approach highlights the deep connections between parenting, teaching, and leading, emphasizing adults’ responsibility to prepare children to thrive.
Her 2021 book, "Tapping Our Parental Power: The Manual for Creating Academic and Life Success for Our Children," underscores her belief that all adults are parents in some form, parents deserve to be equipped, and children deserve equipped parents.
Bolanle is also a parent, grandparent, African dance instructor, and karaoke fan.
Courteney is an artist, animal lover, and social work graduate student at Washington University in St. Louis. Originally from Pennsylvania, she moved to St. Louis to pursue a Master of Social Work, driven by her passion for supporting youth, underserved communities, and people in need. Courteney has a solid background in direct service and mental health research. At home, she enjoys the company of her chocolate lab, Bailey, and her tabby cat, Cleo.
Building positive self-esteem, confidence, and a pathway to post-secondary success for less advantaged youth through in-school, after school and summer tennis and educational programs.
MySAEBRS Screening Tool will be administered to assess participants’ social-emotional skill level pre/post 12-week program.
Breakpoint Academy was a subsidiary organization of the Triple A Youth Foundation. It became an independent organization in May 2023.
For well over a century, the St. Louis Amateur Athletic Association has played an important role in the development of golf and tennis in St. Louis.
In October 1897, fifty leading citizens formed a club to provide low cost athletic facilities. Mr. Alfred Jones was the principal founder.
Little did Mr. Jones know that his dream would still be going strong after five major wars, a great depression, years of legal wrangling concerning park occupancy, and a fire that destroyed the clubhouse.
The first clubhouse was located inside the one-mile track of the Gentleman’s Driving Club in Forest Park near Skinker Boulevard and Forsyth on what is now the Norman K. Probstein Golf Course in Forest Park.
In 1902, Triple A was given 70 acres of land at its current location because the 1904 World’s Fair needed to use the land. This special spot in Forest Park used to be known as Tierny Hill. Tennis courts, a baseball diamond with stands, a track, a golf course, handball courts and volleyball courts were built at this new location. A lacrosse team was created and won the silver medal at the 1904 Olympics!
The golf and tennis facilities at Triple A Club have flourished over the years, producing many great amateur and professional players.
Tennis player Jimmy Connors began his career on the courts at Triple A. As a child golfer Judy Rankin began her career practicing at Triple A.
St. Louisan Dwight Davis had a vision of starting a world tennis competition between countries that continues today.
Triple A had the honor of hosting the Davis Cup matches in 1927, 1946, and 1961.
In addition to this prominent event, numerous clinics, exhibitions, sectional, and district competitions have been held over the years at Triple A Club.
