Michelle Jones picked up tennis in high school when she played for her school team. She fell in love with the sport and spent as much time on the court as possible. Her commitment to tennis secured her a spot as a walk-on for the University of Tennessee at Martin which soon led to a full scholarship. Upon graduation, she stayed on as an Assistant Coach while earning her Master’s in Business Administration.
Throughout her tennis career, Michelle has been recognized for her sharp playing skills and her outstanding playing record speaks for itself. An All-Conference Player in the Gulf South Conference, 1988; recipient of the Bettye Giles Award, 1989-90; awarded the Women's Athletics Junior Academic Award, 1989-90; and received the James C. Henson Tennis Award 1990. She also won the 25s USTA Team Intersectional Championships in 2000.
Not only has she been recognized as an incredible player, but also as an incredible coach! In 2012, she was named Coach of the Year for the GISA Region 2AA, and in 2017, she was selected as Jr. Team Tennis Coordinator of the Year for the state of Kentucky. She also held positions as USPTA Kentucky President in 2017 and USPTA North Carolina Vice President in 2020.
Now, as a teaching professional at the Carolina Country Club, Michelle shares her love of tennis with players of all ages through a number of tennis-related activities, such as giving private lessons, leading clinics for adults and juniors, stringing racquets, assisting with tournaments and Jr. Team Tennis, and much more.
The Carolina Country Club (CCC) has remained at its original location since inception in 1910. The Adult and Junior Team Tennis program continues to grow each year, and “their events demonstrate the best elements of tennis: spirited competition, friendship, achievement, sportsmanship, and fun!” Michelle says that "CCC is excited to be hosting the upcoming annual fund-raiser benefiting Abilities Tennis, Footprints on the Court on Nov. 4-7th. "
Michelle also works with the Raleigh Tennis Association (RTA) to coordinate Junior Tennis Tournaments and volunteer coaches for various RTA programs. Most recently, she served as a volunteer coach for RTA’s Rusty Rackets, a new program designed for
returning players to ‘knock off the rust’ after a long absence. She loves her work with RTA, noting that the organization works to "help our juniors advance in their tennis by running Team Challenges and Area Tennis Tournaments."
Julie Dick, the Executive Director of RTA, says that "Michelle is a great coach who inspires everyone she meets on and off the court. Her passion for tennis is unmatched; and this passion drives her to encourage players to keep playing and get results. We are so lucky to have Michelle serving up tennis in the Raleigh Tennis Community."
So, what advice does Michelle give her students?
"I like to tell my students to be a problem solver on the court and think that helps solving problems outside the court as well."
One of her favorite quotes is "Strive for Perfection, Settle for Excellence."
Great advice, Michelle. Thank you for your wonderful impact on our community.