Tenacity Tennis Academy

A neighborhood academy built around court time, coaching time, and family time

Drive Old Canton Road in the late afternoon and you hear the sound of a club that lives at the center of a neighborhood. On one court a coach is tuning a young player’s split step. On another a high schooler is rehearsing serve plus one under the lights. Parents talk by the fence, siblings wander toward the pool, and a bucket of balls rolls back to the baseline for the next drill. This is the daily rhythm of Tenacity Tennis Academy at East Cobb Swim and Tennis in Marietta, Georgia, a small and focused program shaped by head coach Phillip Beard and designed around three simple promises: consistent court time, individualized coaching time, and a culture that fits busy family time.

Beard is a Professional Tennis Registry certified coach with more than two decades on court, and his program reflects the clarity of someone who has spent many seasons watching what actually helps players improve. Sessions are level based rather than age based. Video is used to make feedback concrete. Pricing and schedules are posted so families can plan without guesswork. The academy’s identity is built on repetition with purpose, and on relationships that extend across months and school years rather than one-off camps.

Why the East Cobb setting matters

Location shapes training more than most people realize. East Cobb is a tennis dense pocket of metro Atlanta, with an active junior calendar, high school teams that take their seasons seriously, and a climate that allows outdoor practice in every month of the year. Summer heat teaches pacing, hydration, and recovery. Mild winters make it possible to keep live ball in the plan rather than retreat entirely to fitness. For a junior building a reliable game, those incremental outdoor touches add up.

East Cobb Swim and Tennis places everything inside one walkable footprint. Courts sit beside a seasonal pool and a clubhouse, and there is easy parking right by the gates. That compact footprint matters in the late afternoon, when a second practice or a match-play block can be added without a long cross-town drive. It also matters for supervision. A younger sibling can be within eyesight while an older player trains, and a parent can manage carpool drop-offs and pick-ups without thinking like a logistics coordinator.

Facilities that favor repetition and access

Tenacity Tennis Academy runs on a clear, usable setup. The club lists four outdoor hard courts that carry the load of daily programming. Two courts include dual lines for pickleball, and there is a platform tennis court that adds variety when temperatures dip. Evening play is supported by lights, which lets high schoolers get extra reps after team practice or homework. The clubhouse and pool round out the space, creating places to cool down and to talk through goals without clearing a stadium concourse.

This is not a sprawling complex with rows of show courts, and that is part of the charm. Court access is predictable and affordable. You can schedule meaningful volume across the week without paying for facilities you rarely use. For families that have bounced between large academies searching for a personal fit, the lesson is straightforward. A compact, well-run site can deliver the touches that matter most: live rallies, targeted feeding, and match play under common conditions.

Coaching staff and philosophy

The academy is anchored by head coach Phillip Beard, who brings 25 years of experience to the courts and a habit of explaining concepts in plain language. His philosophy centers on progression by level and on building specific, repeatable habits. Players learn to control height, depth, and spin with intention rather than simply reacting to the last ball. Movement is coached as a skill that unlocks time, not as punishment. Video is used in 4K so a player can freeze contact, compare checkpoints, and see the difference between feeling and reality.

A small support staff backs Beard on court. The assistants grew up in the local scene and understand the East Cobb calendar of high school dual matches, USTA events, and holiday tournaments. That local knowledge shows up in the weekly cadence. Coaches know when to push fitness because a cluster of tournaments is approaching, and when to invest in pattern-building because league schedules will ask for it.

Programs that match real family schedules

Tenacity Tennis Academy organizes training around school and team obligations. Core junior blocks typically run on weekday afternoons, with players placed into Beginners, Intermediates, and Experienced groups by level rather than birth year. Beginners build reliable contact and footwork patterns. Intermediates consolidate serve, return, and rally skills into basic tactics. Experienced players are active in tournaments and use longer sessions to refine patterns under fatigue.

Adults have their own lanes, with Level 1 clinics focused on fundamentals and game patterns, and Level 2 adding higher tempo work, live ball progressions, and cardio elements. Round robins and adult match play keep players connected to competition without the stress of constant travel. The academy also makes use of school breaks to add extra match-play blocks and to host simple formats that mimic tournament pressure.

Summer brings a clear morning-first template. Half-day camps run in the cooler hours to build volume without melting players in midday heat. Optional afternoon add-ons, when there is interest, allow tournament-bound juniors to stack hours.

Training approach across the whole player

Player development is approached through four integrated lenses. Each is simple to describe and specific in execution.

• Technical fundamentals: The staff uses high-resolution video to freeze positions at contact, show racquet path, and highlight the checkpoints that anchor each stroke. Younger players buy in faster when they can see their own progress frame by frame. Older players use it to debug fine details like spacing, wrist angle on a kick serve, or timing on a backhand drive. The environment is not gadget heavy, but tools are used with intention.
• Tactical clarity: Sessions emphasize ball control with a purpose. Players learn to send the ball rather than survive it, adjusting height, shape, and tempo to open the court. Progressions begin with serve plus one and return plus one, then expand into pattern play that links neutral building, defense to offense, and finishing choices at the right moments.
• Physical capacity: Conditioning is woven into the session rather than isolated in a distant weight room. Movement ladders, sprint-repeat intervals, and footwork circuits show up between live-ball segments, teaching players to execute skills while breathing hard. Atlanta heat becomes an instructor in its own right. Players learn hydration habits, point routines, and between-point recovery that preserve quality in a two to three hour window.
• Mental habits: The academy treats competitive habits as skills that can be coached. Every segment has a clear target, a simple scoreboard, and a way to measure whether the player met the standard. The aim is not abstract toughness. It is the ability to put a second serve in at 4 all, to choose a high-percentage crosscourt under pressure, and to reset after a bad bounce without gifting a game.

Education is acknowledged honestly. There is no boarding or integrated school on site, so academic work stays with the family. The staff helps by posting predictable schedules and by suggesting weekly templates that blend homework with court time. For many students, that predictability is as important as any new grip.

Match play, tournaments, and real-world feedback

Competition is where training proves itself. Tenacity Tennis Academy encourages frequent match play, both inside the program and through local and regional events. Coaches travel to tournaments, especially on nearby weekends, and they treat those trips as classrooms. Notes move from match to practice. If a player struggled to neutralize a heavy ball, the following week will include height control and depth targets. If second serves broke down, expect dedicated reps under a scoreline that matters.

Unlike academies that lead with a wall of touring pros, Tenacity measures outcomes close to home. A first USTA trophy, a varsity lineup spot, a decisive improvement in hold percentage on service games, a composed response to a tiebreak. For the families who enroll here, those wins are not small. They are the building blocks that make higher ceilings possible later on.

Culture and community

The setting at East Cobb Swim and Tennis is intentionally social. Adult leagues animate the weekends, the summer swim team fills the deck with energy, and the board lists Beard as the club’s tennis pro and coordinator for team tennis. Juniors see adult tennis up close, which normalizes match routines and etiquette. Parents see familiar faces week after week, which builds trust and makes carpooling simple.

The tone on court is purposeful but friendly. Coaches expect sweat and focus. They also make sure kids learn names, pick up balls briskly, and say a proper thank you at the end of a session. These small rituals make a difference. Players who feel known show up more often, and showing up is still the most predictive metric in junior improvement.

Costs, accessibility, and scholarships

A practical strength of Tenacity Tennis Academy is transparency. Schedules and prices are published so families can decide before they call. Options typically include one or two days per week for 90 minute blocks, a three day track, and a full access tier for players who want every drill plus extra practices. Drop-in rates are available for those testing the waters or managing a complex calendar. Summer camps use weekly pricing with clear half-day and add-on choices. As always, prices can change, so families should confirm current details during registration.

Accessibility is helped by the site’s location and by the absence of hidden travel costs. With four courts and evening lights, it is realistic to add touches without paying for hotel weekends. The academy can accommodate new players throughout the year, and it has a straightforward placement process that gets a student into the right level quickly.

For families balancing budgets, ask about scholarships or partial aid tied to participation, leadership, or volunteer support at events. Small programs often reserve a few spots for players who bring consistent work habits and strong examples for younger kids.

What differentiates Tenacity from larger academies

• Simplicity and clarity: Schedules repeat through the year, and pricing is posted. You can see the plan, compare it to your week, and commit.
• Coaching continuity: A single head coach tracks a player through seasons and levels, reducing the reset costs that come with staff turnover.
• Volume without travel: Daily after-school blocks, weekend match play, and summer half-days produce high annual ball counts without a boarding bill.
• Useful technology, not clutter: 4K video and on-court movement work are the core tools. They scale well and keep the focus on the ball.
• Facility fit: Four hard courts with lights provide reliable access. The clubhouse and pool keep everything walkable and family friendly.

Families considering a national-scale boarding model can compare this local-first approach with a destination like IMG Academy Tennis. Those who want another community-based model in a different region can explore Cary Tennis Park Academy. If you prefer a high-performance lane within the state, look at GAC High-Performance Tennis Academy to see how different Georgia programs structure their weeks.

Practical notes before you visit

• Address and parking: The courts sit at East Cobb Swim and Tennis in Marietta, with parking adjacent to the facility. Arrive ten minutes early for a first session to sort check-in and court assignments.
• Surfaces and count: Four outdoor hard courts handle the program’s daily volume. There are dual lines for pickleball on two courts and a platform tennis court for cold-weather variety. There is no clay on site.
• Boarding and academics: There is no dormitory or integrated school. If you require on-site academics, consider a boarding academy that pairs classes with training.
• Gear and policies: The academy encourages players to bring two strung racquets, a refillable water bottle, a towel, and a hat during summer months. Sunscreen is a must. Cancellations and rain policies are explained at sign-up.

Alumni and success stories

Tenacity’s outcomes are measured in steady progress. A player learns to hold serve under pressure by placing a reliable first ball deep to the backhand. Another earns a high school lineup spot after a fall of footwork and return work. A 12-year-old brings home a first USTA trophy after learning to add height and shape to neutralize pace. Photos and updates from local events tell the story of a program that values participation, learning, and resilience as much as podium shots.

These are not the only paths to success, but they are honest ones. A stronger base today makes higher goals realistic tomorrow, whether that is chasing sectional rankings or preparing for college showcases later in high school.

The road ahead

The academy’s tone is personal and local, and that is unlikely to change. Expect continued refinement of level-based blocks, more match-play windows when court time allows, and deeper use of video so that each player can track progress over months rather than days. Small-group intensives will remain a lever during school breaks. Partnerships with nearby high school programs may grow, helping bridge the gap between team seasons and individual tournament goals.

Parents should view Tenacity as a multi-year plan rather than a one-week miracle. The athletes who thrive here tend to be the ones who show up with a lunch-pail mentality, keep notes, and practice the same two or three priorities until they stick.

Is it for you

Choose Tenacity Tennis Academy if you want a reliable, year-round routine with a head coach who will notice your player’s habits in week three and still be talking about them in week thirty. It suits juniors building foundational skills for high school and USTA tournaments, families who prefer community-club convenience to cross-town commutes, and adults who want serious but friendly clinics.

It is not a fit if you require boarding, on-site academics, or a multi-surface campus designed for constant travel. If you want frequent touches, clear feedback, and competition that fits a school-year calendar, it is well worth a close look. The best first step is the simplest one. Visit during an afternoon block, listen to the cadence of the drills, and watch how players respond when a coach asks for one more rep. You will know quickly if this is the kind of place where your player will grow.