Michael Bales has been a USPTA Certified Professional 1 Teaching Pro since 1985. Michael was a top 10 junior in the state of Tennessee. Michael went on to play on scholarship at Carson Newman College where he played number 1 singles and number 1 doubles for the majority of his tennis career. All 4 years that Michael played at Carson Newman College, The team was ranked top 10 in the nation in the NAIA division. Upon graduation, Michael taught for Nick Bolletteri for 5 years. He then continued teaching for 15 years at Cedar Bluff Racquet Club in Knoxville. Michael taught for 23 years at Smoky Mountain Tennis Academy and Tennessee Tennis Club and Academy (TTCA) before joining the team at The Pickleball Playground. Michael’s true passion is tennis, but he is also very qualified to teach pickleball and is enjoying diving into that sport more and more.