About UPCC
Built by coaches who still teach the game.
UPCC was built to give pickleball coaching what it didn't yet have — a credential earned on court, by coaches who still teach the game, that is recognised everywhere the sport is played.
Our Story
Why we built UPCC
Founded by Ben Hocking and Mathew Monty, two coaches with 26 years of racquet-sport experience between them.
With our combined experience and expertise, we have a deep understanding of the game of pickleball, how it's played, mastered, and elevated to the highest level.
We know what it takes to develop elite players, from strategy and technique to mindset and execution. Our passion for the sport, backed by years of coaching and competition, allows us to deliver top-tier training that empowers players to reach their full potential.
Our Mission
Empower coaches
Elevate the sport
From the aspiring coach getting started to the experienced instructor refining their craft, UPCC delivers the knowledge, skills, and certification to empower coaches and elevate the sport.
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Knowledge
The methodology, theory, and game understanding behind every technique you'll teach.
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Skills
Practical, on-court coaching ability that holds up in front of paying players.
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Certification
A credential earned on court. Recognised, and yours for life.
Our Facilitators
The facilitators we trust to hold the line in their region
The standard is only as strong as the people who hold it. They hold it in their region, every week, with the coaches they teach.
Coco Lococo is a leading figure in pickleball and a three time professional Major League Pickleball (MLP) Australia player. She formerly served as Coaching Director for MLP/PPA Australia and currently coaches multiple professional MLP teams.
As the first female professional pickleball coach in Australasia and India, Coco was a coach in the World Pickleball League (WPBL) and is now proudly a World Cup Coach, representing Australia on the international stage.
With decades of elite tennis coaching experience, she brings exceptional tactical knowledge and high performance coaching expertise to pickleball.
Coco is passionate about developing players of all levels and is widely respected for her energy, leadership, and unwavering commitment to growing the sport.
Bonns is a premier Filipino pickleball coach, educator, and elite competitor. One of the most credentialed trainers in the country (PPR, UPCC, PGA, PCI, IFP), he has been instrumental in professionalizing the sport in the Philippines.
As a former Asia #2 (Men’s 35+ Singles) with a peak DUPR of 5.6, he is a consistent podium finisher across the continent. His recent international honors include:
Gold Medals: 2024 Hong Kong Open (Mixed 35+), 2023 Asia Open Thailand (Mixed 35+), 2023 Oakley Championship (Men’s 35+).
Silver Medals: 2024 WPC Bali (Singles, Doubles, & Mixed 35+), 2024 Hong Kong Open (Singles & Doubles 35+), 2024 WPC Masters Vietnam (Doubles 35+).
Bronze Medals: 2024 WPC Masters Vietnam (Singles 35+), 2023 WPC Bali (Singles 35+).
Bonns’ coaching philosophy centers on a structured, athlete-first approach, bridging the gap between sound fundamentals and pro-level strategy for players and aspiring coaches alike.
Tony Morgan has been a driving force in Australian pickleball since its early days in NSW in 2018. Over the years, he has played a key role in the sport’s growth and development, contributing as a coach, player, administrator, and promoter.
His transition into pickleball coincided with a career shift, leading to the establishment of PB Sports in 2019—his dedicated pickleball equipment supply and coaching business. With experience spanning local, state, and national levels (PAA), Tony has taken on multiple roles, including sports administrator, tournament director, representative player, commentator, and podcast host.
Coaching & Leadership
Coaching remains Tony’s greatest passion. With 15 years of badminton coaching and now over five years of pickleball coaching, he continues to shape players’ development at all levels.
Head Coach at Discover Pickleball Newcastle (since 2023)
Coaching Coordinator for Hunter Pickleball Association
Former Level 2 Certified Coach – IPTPA & Pickleball Global Coaching Academy
Current Level 2 Certified Coach – UPCC
Competitive Achievements
A decorated player, Tony has won multiple state, national, and international titles, including:
2019 APC – Gold (Men’s Doubles, 5.0)
2019 Vic Open – Silver (Mixed Doubles)
2020 Battle of the Border (NSW vs VIC) – NSW Captain
2020, 2021 & 2023 – NSW Battle of the Border Representative
2023 Asian Championships (Thailand) – Team Gold
2024 Tasmanian Open – Gold (Men’s Doubles)
2024 Tasmanian Masters – Gold (Men’s Doubles) | Silver (Skinny Singles)
Course Presenter & Educator
In addition to coaching, Tony is a passionate educator, delivering training and certification courses across Australia and internationally:
2+ years as a course presenter
Conducted 20+ courses across NSW, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania
Delivered coaching courses in China and South Korea
With a deep commitment to the sport, Tony continues to drive the growth of pickleball through coaching, competition, and education.
Professional Pickleball Player | MLPA Premiere League 2023/24
2024/25 Captain – Pro Masters 50+ MLPA Melbourne Mavericks Team
#1 Australian Ranked (AR) & DUPR) 50+ Women’s & Mixed Doubles Player (2024)
Pickleball World Cup Australian Coach 2026
Tina is a highly accomplished pickleball coach and competitor with four years of coaching experience. She specializes in training players of all levels—from beginners to professionals—helping them refine their skills and reach peak performance. Before transitioning to pickleball, Tina competed at a state-grade level in tennis and participated in international beach tennis tournaments.
Certifications & Qualifications:
Pickleball Global Level 1 & 2 Certified Coach
Master Club Professional Tennis Australia Coach
IFBT Beach Tennis Coach
Certificate IV Personal Trainer
Bachelor of Science – Monash University
Graduate Diploma of Audiology – Melbourne University
Competitive Achievements:
Tina has competed in premier pickleball tournaments across Australia and New Zealand, earning multiple state and national titles in both singles and doubles across open and masters divisions.
Andrew Horridge – Western Australia
Professional Pickleball Player | MLP Australia Captain | UPCC Facilitator
Andrew Horridge is one of Australia’s leading competitive pickleball players, bringing extensive professional tournament experience and elite-level insight to the UPCC coaching team.
Ranked among Australia’s leading Open Men’s Doubles players, Andrew has competed at the professional level across Australia, including on the PPA Tour Australia.
His competitive achievements include winning Pro Men’s Singles at the NSW Pickleball Open, taking silver in Pro Men’s Singles at the Perth Pickleball Open, and competing against many of Australia’s and the region’s top players.
Andrew is also Captain of the Western Vipers in MLP Australia, where he combines high-level playing experience with leadership, tactical strategy and team development.
As a coach, Andrew brings the perspective of a current professional player, helping players better understand the technical, tactical and mental demands of competitive pickleball.
Passionate about developing the sport and the next generation of players, Andrew brings professional experience, leadership and a high-performance mindset to UPCC.
A professional competitor, MLP captain and respected leader helping raise the standard of pickleball in Australia.
I’m based in Hobart, Tasmania, travelling throughout Australia playing and coaching pickleball, generously supported by UPCC, JOOLA and PPA. My relatively short three-year career in professional pickleball and elite coaching is underpinned by over 40 years of experience as an elite international tennis player, coach, coach educator and physical education teacher. With formal education qualifications in Sport Science, Educational Leadership and Training & Assessment, I have a wide-ranging skillset and strong passion to teach new and experienced coaches how to connect players of all ages, levels and backgrounds with their own defined pickleball pathway. Coaches and participants share a unique journey, and bringing out the best in their physical, mental and strategic capabilities is something that requires both the knowledge and art of coaching. Let me explore and enhance your capabilities through UPCC and connect you with the skills and confidence to start or continue your coaching journey.
Some of my recent achievements include:
- Two-time Australian Masters Team representative at the Pickleball World Cup
- Current Australian Number One 50+ Singles player
- Current top 5 Australian Women's & Mixed Doubles ranked player
- Five-time PPA Masters Title Winner 2025-2026
- Winner & Runner Up MLP Australia Masters Rounds 2025
- 2025 Australian Pickleball Championships 50+ Pro Singles Champion
- Career high DUPR Singles 5.031 & Doubles 4.975
Pickleball Coach | Competitive Player | Children’s Fitness Coach
Known as “Coach Penguin,” Chan Kin Long combines more than 10 years of coaching experience with an impressive competitive pickleball career.
Chan has competed successfully across Hong Kong and China, achieving multiple championship titles and podium finishes. His highlights include 2025 Hong Kong Men’s Doubles Champion, 2025 Hengqin MILP DUPR16 Champion, 2024 Li-Ning China Tour Champion, and multiple podium finishes at the 2024 WPC China.
Away from competition, Chan is passionate about developing players of all ages. With a background in children’s physical development, he has coached everyone from young children through to older adults and is known for making technical skills simple, engaging and enjoyable.
He is also committed to growing pickleball at grassroots level, helping introduce more than 1,200 new players to the sport through community programs and activities.
An accomplished competitor, experienced coach and passionate advocate for growing pickleball across Hong Kong.
Grace Sorbello is the Head Tennis and Pickleball Coach at UQ Sport, where she oversees the coaching programs and is passionate about creating a positive, welcoming environment for players of all ages and abilities.
An active high-level pickleball competitor, Grace has achieved numerous podium finishes, represented the Sydney Smash in the MLP Challenger, and captained NPL Division 2 teams on multiple occasions. She continues to compete regularly, bringing current, high-level playing experience into her coaching.
With decades of tennis coaching experience, Grace is passionate about helping players develop their skills, build confidence, and enjoy the game. She is highly regarded for her approachable nature, encouragement, leadership, and commitment to growing the sport while supporting every player to reach their full potential.
Since taking up pickleball in late 2024, I have actively competed in sanctioned tournaments throughout Queensland and Australia, earning multiple podium finishes and gaining valuable experience along the way.
While competition has accelerated my development as a player, my approach to facilitation has been shaped by nearly twenty years of teaching martial arts and reflecting on both success and failure. Over that time, I have learned that confidence is not built from winning alone. More often, it is developed through challenges, setbacks, and the willingness to keep learning. Some of my most valuable lessons have come from losses rather than victories, and I strive to create an environment where participants can embrace that same journey of growth, discovery, and self-belief.
Experience & Qualifications
• Head Instructor, Hwa Rang Tae Kwon Do Australia (15+ years)
• 5th Dan Black Belt, Hwa Rang Tae Kwon Do
• 5th Dan Black Belt, Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) – Master Rank
• Active sanctioned pickleball tournament competitor across Queensland and Australia
• Qualified for the 2026 Australian Masters Championship (AMC) State Qualifiers after representing my club as the top-seeded Men’s 50+ player at the Regional Qualifiers
My aim is to help people develop confidence in their movement, trust in their decision-making, and build the resilience to continue learning long after the session ends. I believe there is an important difference between understanding a concept and experiencing it for yourself. Whether on the court or elsewhere in life, growth often exists just beyond our comfort zone. My goal is to create a safe environment where participants can explore discomfort without fear of failure, knowing that this is often where confidence is built, lessons are learned, and meaningful improvement takes place.
Lokendra Solanki is a dedicated UPCC Certified Coach and Facilitator with a passion for developing players and growing the sport of pickleball. Since earning his UPCC certification, he has worked with players of all ages and abilities, delivering engaging coaching sessions that build confidence, improve technique, and create a genuine love for the game.
With a patient, approachable, and encouraging coaching style, Lokendra believes every player has the ability to improve when given the right guidance and support. His focus is on creating a positive learning environment where players feel comfortable challenging themselves while developing the skills needed to succeed on and off the court.
As a UPCC Facilitator, Lokendra is committed to helping aspiring coaches develop the knowledge, confidence, and practical coaching skills required to make a lasting impact within their own pickleball communities. He is passionate about maintaining high coaching standards and supporting the continued growth of the sport through education and mentorship.
Whether coaching new players, experienced competitors, or future coaches, Lokendra brings enthusiasm, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to helping others achieve their goals.
Pax is an experienced pickleball coach, instructor and community leader who has been actively involved in growing the sport in the Philippines since 2019.Pax is a Philippine Pickleball Federation Country Ambassador, an IFP Certified Instructor, and UPCC level 2 coach.
Over the years, he has helped introduce countless players to pickleball while contributing to the development of the sport at grassroots and community level.
But for Pax, his proudest achievement isn't a certification or title.
Through his work with a youth pickleball program, Pax was able to introduce out-of-school young people to the sport and inspire them to develop a genuine love for pickleball.For some, that opportunity became much more than learning a sport.
Several of those young people continued their development and have now become UPCC coaches, creating new opportunities for themselves and positively changing not only their own lives, but the lives of their families.
For Pax, this represents what coaching is really about — using sport to create opportunity, confidence, purpose and lasting change.Today, as part of UPCC Philippines, Pax continues to bring that same philosophy to coach education and community development, helping develop the next generation of coaches and growing pickleball throughout the Philippines.
As one of the trailblazers of pickleball in the Philippines, Rnell Arsenal has been instrumental in advancing the sport through grassroots development, coach education, and structured player pathways. As Co-Founder of PQLab, he has led initiatives that make quality coaching and organised pickleball more accessible to communities across the country, helping establish a strong foundation for the sport's continued growth.
He also helped develop Batang Pickleball, a nationwide junior development initiative designed to introduce young athletes to the sport while providing a clear pathway for long-term player development. Through his work in coach education and athlete development, he is committed to equipping coaches with practical, evidence-based methodologies that inspire confidence, foster lifelong participation, and develop players at every stage of their pickleball journey. As a UPCC Facilitator, he is passionate about empowering coaches to create positive learning environments and contribute to the sustainable growth of pickleball in the Philippines.
Sports Psychologist | Pickleball Coach | Competitive Player
Dr. Hwanho Lee brings a unique combination of sports psychology, competitive playing experience and pickleball coaching to UPCC.
Holding a doctoral degree in Sports Psychology, Hwanho specialises in mental performance, helping athletes develop confidence, focus, resilience and the ability to perform under pressure.
He is also an accomplished competitive pickleball player with results across Korea, Taiwan, China and Vietnam, including:
🏆 1st – 2024 WPC Korea Hybrid 4.0
🏆 1st – 2024 Vietnam Para Pickleball Tournament, Men’s Doubles
🥈 2nd – 2024 WPC Taichung, Men’s Singles 3.5
🥉 3rd – 2024 China Pickleball Game, Men’s Doubles Open
🥉 3rd – 2025 Korea Gyeonggi Open, 35+ Men’s Doubles 4.0
Beyond competition, Hwanho holds leadership roles as a Standing Director of the Korea Pickleball Association and Board Member of the Yongin City Pickleball Association.
Combining mental performance, tactical coaching and real competitive experience, Hwanho brings a distinctive approach to developing confident, resilient and tactically intelligent players and coaches.
A sports psychologist, accomplished player and pickleball leader helping grow the game across Korea and internationally.
Pickleball Coach | Multisport Coach | Athlete Development & Sports Performance
Jake Raschild Hernani brings a strong multisport coaching background to pickleball, with experience across basketball, volleyball, badminton, fitness, and Muay Thai, along with expertise in movement, strength, and conditioning.
After transitioning into pickleball in 2024, Jake quickly developed a passion for growing the sport at grassroots level, with a particular focus on kids and junior player development.
His coaching approach combines pickleball skills with athlete development, movement, and sports performance, helping young players build a strong foundation both on and off the court.
Based in Davao, Jake's impact extends well beyond Southern Mindanao. He travels throughout the Philippines delivering free pickleball clinics, community outreach programs and sessions with ministry partners, helping introduce the sport to new communities.
A passionate coach committed to developing the next generation of pickleball players and making the sport accessible to communities across the Philippines.
Pickleball Coach | Founder, Moose Sports Academy | Owner & Founder, NERPL
A passionate advocate for pickleball in Northeast Victoria, he brings together coaching, competition, tournament experience and community development.
As a Level 2 Certified Pickleball Coach, Founder of Moose Sports Academy, and Owner and Founder of NERPL – North East Riverina Pickleball League, he works to develop players and create more opportunities for people to participate in competitive and social pickleball.
With more than eight years involved in pickleball, he is an active tournament competitor and has also helped host the Battle of the Border tournament over multiple years.
Through his coaching, academy and development of NERPL, he has played an active role in growing pickleball throughout Northeast Victoria and the surrounding region, with a strong focus on player development, sportsmanship and building a strong pickleball community.
A coach, competitor and community leader committed to creating opportunities for players and growing pickleball throughout regional Australia.