Kenny Puvogel – “Coach KP”
Kenny Puvogel, better known as “Coach KP” arrives from Southern California where he was a fellow teaching professional with Brad and Katy Sceney at The Paseo Club for 5 years before heading off to teach tennis in his hometown of New York City in 2012. Kenny spent 15 months in NYC teaching at several clubs including the prestigious Vanderbilt Tennis Club in Grand Central Terminal where he also served as Director of Fitness Programs and Personal Training, Sutton East Tennis, Yorkville Tennis Club and at the Riverside Clay Tennis courts. He returned to Southern California and the Paseo Club in 2013 for another year before deciding he wanted to join Brad and Katy at the OZ Tennis Academy in the Atlanta area.
Kenny has been teaching tennis for over 15 years. Calling himself an ambassador of tennis, he loves working with all ages and believes his passion, energy, enthusiasm and devotion to the sport transfers to and inspires his students. He loves introducing the sport to beginners and teaches a high energy, calorie burning and fun-filled cardio tennis class. Additionally, he works with his clients to build a balance of tennis skills and fitness, and strives for the highest quality program attainable while seeking to build lasting relationships with all of his students. He is a great motivator and is known affectionately to many as the “Pied Piper of Tennis.”
Before entering the tennis profession full time, Kenny spent over 25 years in the promotion, marketing and sales fields of the music industry, 23 years with the legendary Warner Brothers Records family – the most successful, powerful and prestigious label of the time – the last 10 years serving as Vice President of Rock Promotion.
“The Proof is in the Passion.”
With music being very popular among touring tennis pros, good fortune would bring Kenny together with current Davis Cup Captain and former #1 world professional Jim Courier backstage at an R.E.M. concert in Atlanta in 1995. Through his ongoing relationship with Courier, Kenny has had the chance to spend time behind the scenes of professional tennis, meeting and learning from the pros, their coaches and trainers and chatting with anyone who wants to talk tennis or music. While exchanging ideas on tennis and music, he absorbed everything the sport has to offer and has a wealth of priceless knowledge that yearns to be shared.
Kenny’s tennis journey continued while he managed Sammy Hagar (Van Halen) and his travels took him to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico often where he began to teach part time at the Adan Bries Tennis Academy and at local resort hotels. Looking for a new direction, he realized tennis was it and this is when he decided it was time for a change and chose to pursue the sharing of his love of the game.
In 2001, he became a full time tennis coach teaching independently in the Santa Clarita Valley. He has been the head coach at four of the six local high schools there as well as directing the high school summer tennis program for College of the Canyons. With his West Ranch girls’ team, he holds the distinction of having the first team to make the CIF playoffs in school history.
Kenny believes the many people he met and continues to meet along the way gives him a unique perspective to teaching tennis. He takes pride in his passion and considers himself to be what he calls a “tennis concierge” handling his clients’ every tennis need.
Professional Qualifications
- USPTA Certified
- USTA Roving Umpire
- Babolat Team Member
- ASFA Certified Personal Trainer