Coaching Team
Alexander MacKellar and Keeley Phillips (both former collegiate players with over 17 years of combined coaching) founded the Mack Phillips Tennis Academy in 2019. We offer a tennis experience catering to all age and skill levels. We look forward to sharing our passion and knowledge of the sport with you!
Keeley Phillips
Head Coach
Coach Keeley has been playing tennis seriously for over 10 years and coaching for over 8 years. She attended Cedar Ridge High School where she was awarded team MVP and played #1 mixed doubles. After High School she continued her playing career as a member of the women’s tennis team at Concordia University Texas. She graduated in 2020 with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Kinesiology. Coach Keeley’s favorite things about tennis are its ability to bring communities and families together, and the fact that it is a lifelong sport! Her coaching approach is very tailored to the player and their goals; however, she is a firm believer in creating strong fundamentals to prevent injury and allow players to reach their full potential. She has experience working with kids ages 2 all the way to seniors and all skill levels. When she is not on the court, she enjoys running, baking, DIY projects and spending time with her family.
Alexander Mackellar
Head Coach
Coach Alex began playing tennis at age 11 and has been coaching tennis for over 10 years. He attended Belton High School and was a member of their varsity tennis team. After High School, he joined the United States Navy. He spent 2 years in Washington D.C. at the Nation’s capital as a Ceremonial Guardsman. Then, he spent his last 2 years stationed in Bahrain. After the service, he attended the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor where he was a member of the tennis team and graduated in 2019. After graduating, he knew he wanted to follow his passion, tennis, and has been coaching full time ever since. Coach Alex’s coaching style is always adapted to the individual to best suit their needs and goals.
Collin
Coach
Hi, I’m Collin! I’m from Pflugerville, Texas, and I’ve been playing tennis for 8 years and pickleball for 4 years. I first picked up a tennis racket at 11 and quickly fell in love with the sport, competing in tournaments by the time I was 14. Tennis has been a huge part of my life — it taught me discipline, strategy, and perseverance — and it also opened the door for me to discover pickleball. With my tennis background, I quickly excelled in pickleball and began competing in tournaments as well.
Over the years, I’ve developed a passion for coaching both sports. I’ve had the privilege of coaching players of all ages and skill levels, including coaching pickleball at Pickleland in Austin, Texas. My goal is to make every session productive and personalized, helping players improve their technique, build confidence, and develop a deeper love for the game.
Whether you’re looking to fine-tune your tennis strokes or level up your pickleball game, I’m here to help you reach your goals — and have fun doing it. See you on the courts!
.jpeg)
Em
Coach
Coach Em started playing tennis at age 7, inspired by their stepdad, who was the Head Tennis Pro at Picacho Hills Country Club in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Growing up immersed in the sport, Em developed both a strong technical foundation and a lifelong passion for tennis.
Em played competitively throughout high school, winning a New Mexico State Championship in team competition and placing third in doubles multiple times, as well as earning three district titles in doubles. After high school, Em continued playing at the club level for New Mexico State University, further deepening their love for the game.
Em has coached tennis on and off since age 18, gaining experience over more than a decade working with players of all ages and skill levels. They’ve coached at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch, led junior programs, and ran the “Pizza and Play” program with the Southern New Mexico USTA District.
Em’s coaching philosophy centers around meeting players where they are at, in life and on the court. They believe that growth in tennis should be fun, present, and engaging, never a chore. For Em, tennis is as much about self-expression and connection as it is about competition.
Outside of tennis, Em is a musician and songwriter who loves creating across many mediums. They’re also passionate about helping small businesses grow through creativity, organization, and efficiency. Em aims to leave players feeling inspired and connected, both on and off the court.
Cameron
Coach
Coach Cameron is originally from Georgetown, TX; he joined our team in the Fall of 2024. His first experience playing was at Berry Creek with the junior program where he trained with them from 2010-2014 and was able to get to the top 30 in Texas for 18s juniors. Later he went off to play collegiate tennis at the University of Texas at Tyler. After college he went into tech sales for a few years but realized his passion wasn’t in computers but tennis and has shifted towards teaching and getting back on court.
In college he played against many different players and game styles and quickly realized everybody’s game differs slightly. Because of this he caters his lessons/drills to his players specific needs and goals for the future. Cameron’s focus is on helping people expand and
improve their current game, while also helping with match strategy .
He is a USPTA certified teaching pro and is excited to work with the next generation of players
to improve their game and develop a love for tennis.
Kayla Peña
Coach
Coach Kayla is from Rio Grande City, Texas and has been playing tennis for 13 years. In high school she was a regional qualifier for doubles and a state qualifier for singles. After High School, she continued her career at Concordia University Texas as a member of the women’s tennis team where she was awarded newcomer of the year, conference MVP and received the sportsmanship award twice.
Coach Kayla finished her bachelor’s in Kinesiology last year, is a Certified personal trainer and a certified Corrective Exercise Specialist. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree and will be playing her final year at Concordia.
Coach Kayla has been coaching tennis for 4 years and has experience working with all age and skill levels. She plays tennis because it has opened countless opportunities for her, and it has taught her many lessons that she can carry/use in her everyday life even outside of the sport. She coaches tennis because she wants the future generations to be able to have access to the same opportunities that tennis has provided her.
Tim Craig
Pickleball Coach
Coach Tim is a Certified Professional with the Professional Pickleball Registry (PPR). The PPR is the official education and certification partner of USA pickleball. Coach Tim teaches and trains players of all ages and skill levels. He has taught hundreds of players in Central Texas how to play pickleball. He teaches and plays pickleball every day. He has been playing in tournaments since 2018 and plays in several tournaments per year. You can see his tournament results and his advanced student’s tournament results on his Facebook page Coach Tim Pickleball Training LLC. He also has a YouTube page where you can view his training videos. He has a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Saint Edward’s University and spent his career in government financial management. He retired from the State of Texas in 2014 and spends his time off the pickleball court tending to his Koi Pond and annoying his Facebook followers with his occasional live karaoke performances.
Ali Abuwala
Coach
My name is Ali and I am currently a 3rd year architecture student at UT Austin! I’ve been playing tennis since I was 12, starting competitive tournaments around the age of 14. I was a USTA super champ and began my coaching career while high school giving private lessons. For the past two years, I have spent my summers running camps and drills with my former coach and continued with private lessons for players of all age and skill levels. I now play competitive doubles for the UT club team, currently ranked line 3 for the school. My style of coaching relates to each individual player, working with their unique strokes to make them the best player they can be. I value having a balance among all your shots rather than mastering one, and I think it helps create all around players that can face any situation. I hope to continue coaching throughout my college career and beyond as my love for this game has only gotten stronger as the years go on! My favorite player is the undisputed greatest tennis athlete of all time Novak Djokovic!
Jonathan Darnell
Coach
Jonathan Darnell started playing competitive tennis in the 7th grade but has been playing for over 30 years. He was introduced to the sport at a very young age since his mother was a tennis coach. He played doubles throughout High School and was a 4-year MVP for the varsity team. He has multiple years of coaching experience with middle school- high school players for multiple different school districts. He has also hosted and led yearly summer camps for players ranging from 1st grade through high schoolers. He has been coaching tennis in some capacity for over 18 years.
Cade Thompson
Coach
Growing up in Katy, Texas, Cade honed his tennis skills under the guidance of his father, leading to many wins on the high school varsity team, playing first line men’s doubles and singles. After high school, he moved to Georgetown, Texas, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Physics at Southwestern University. Cade's passion for tennis remained strong, with him winning the intramural men’s singles tournament. He follows his passion now as a competitive tennis coach, with great knowledge of functional technique and strategy. Cade loves to watch professional tennis, looking up most to Rafael Nadal.
.jpeg)
Malena
Coach
Hi, I’m Malena. I started playing tennis when I was eight years old, and ever since then, it’s been a huge part of my life. I was homeschooled up until high school, which gave me the freedom to dedicate a lot of time to the sport and really focus on improving my game.
I was number one on my varsity team and spent years training, competing, and developing a deep love for tennis. Now that I’m in college, I don’t play competitively, but the sport still plays a big role in my life. It has helped me stay calm and deal with life’s challenges. Coaching gives me the chance to share what I’ve learned and help others grow both on and off the court.
Outside of tennis, I’m focused on college life studying, spending time with friends, and finding balance between school and staying active. Tennis has taught me discipline, patience, and how to have fun while working hard, and that’s what I hope to pass on to every player I work with.
Evan Peña
Coach
Hi! My name is Evan, and I love the sport of tennis, which is why I enjoy coaching anyone and everyone who wants to play! I've played tennis for 16 years now, and growing up, I was able to become a "super champ" in old USTA terms. I played tennis at Concordia University Texas from August 2018 to May 2023, where I obtained my bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and master's degree in Sports Administration. During my time playing for Concordia, I was voted captain by my teammates for my last 3 years of college tennis. During those 5 years, we made it to the ASC conference championship 4 times, winning twice in Spring 2021 and Spring 2023! I'd say my coaching style focuses on a holistic approach, developing the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the sport, to optimize development and performance, but I don't forget to bring the fun as that's the most important thing after all (winning is nice, too, though)!