2024 GRADUATING CLASS OF LANDINGS TENNIS BOOT CAMP
Summer is over and it’s great to see so many of our friends back in The Landings. As I sit writing this article, Hurricane Milton is headed for SW Florida! I hope in the next Happy Landings we can report that there was very little damage and that everyone safely weathered the storm.
Tennis Boot Camp got off to a great start on September 30. Our pros, Bella Graf, Tyler Cooper, Nathan Smiley and guest pro Don Massey, the retired coach of the very successful ladies’ team at Fort Myers High School, helped us hone our skills in drives, volleys, overheads and working together on the courts. Thank you for a very hot but really great week!
NATHAN SMILEY
This month I’d like to highlight two more of our fabulous Tennis Program Staff. Nathan Smiley, Head Tennis Professional, is the newest member of the staff. He’s a native of Florida and has been a USPTA certified professional for four plus years with over six years total coaching experience. Nathan recently graduated from Milligan University with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science – Coaching for Performance and was a four-year starter on the Milligan tennis team. He played No. 1 Singles and Doubles, reaching a top 34 ranking in the nation in Doubles. As well, he received prestigious Athletic and Academic awards. Nathan would like to pursue a career as a tennis professional, merging his education, tennis skills, coaching experience and love for the sport. In his spare time, Nathan likes to fish, hike, and play outdoor sports, including of course, tennis.
Jen Bowden, Tennis Store Service and Merchandise Coordinator, was born and raised in Middletown, Ohio. She attended college in Anderson, Indiana, graduating with a B.S. in Elementary Education. Jen then earned a Masters in Teacher Leadership from Wright State University. She taught language arts and social studies to grades 1 through 5 over 33 years in the Monroe Local School District. Her three daughters live in three different states: Colorado, Texas, and California. She’s a proud grandmother to two grandbabies with one on the way. Her husband Steve is another important member of our Tennis Program (more about him in another Happy Landings issue). The Bowdens have lived in Florida since April 2023 and life could not be better for them!
