DAPA Fitness: A Good Fit at IJP Tennis

Note:  With the recent launch of the DAPA fitness program in IJP Tennis, Matt's Point's guest contributor is Ashley Church.

Hello IJP Tennis families.  My name is Ashley Church, and with my husband Tim, we run the Dynamic Athlete Performance Academy (DAPA).  I met the Campbells when Niamh came to me as a physical therapy patient, rehabbing from shin fractures.  Fast forward two years, I am still working with Niamh (and now Zara) to improve their athletic performance through a dynamic strength and conditioning program.    

Having worked with these young tennis players to supplement their tennis instruction with Matt, we are proud to partner with IJP Tennis.  Our philosophy is to help athletes minimize injuries and maximize their potential, and we are passionate about strength, conditioning, and fitness for young athletes.

Tim and I founded DAPA in 2015 when we relocated from Hermosa Beach, CA.  We sought to create individualized sport-specific strength and conditioning programs that focus on improving the athlete as a whole (balance, coordination, strength, speed, agility, plyometrics).  As we train athletes in all planes of movement, our goal is to reduce risk of injury (we call this "Pre-Hab") with a large emphasis on core and glute stabilization--a strong foundation from which to move.

Both Tim and I have been lifelong multi-sport athletes and have sports-related careers.  I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy and a full-time physical therapist at the Fischer Institute. I have been in the fitness industry for 10+ years.  I grew up playing soccer and basketball, but underwent four knee surgeries.  Although these injuries ended my soccer career, they led to my professional career.  With this experience, I always envisioned creating a youth athlete program that focused on educating athletes, and training them to perform better, reduce risk of injury, and prolong their athletic careers.

Tim has a Master of Education, teaches physical education, and coaches indoor and sand volleyball.  He was a diver in college, and took up beach volleyball during his graduate studies. He quickly became a high-level beach volleyball player, competing in AVP and NVL tournaments.  He even played for Ireland in the Olympic qualifiers. He has 15+ years of coaching and training experience, and is passionate about coaching and helping young athletes improve, not only their skill in a sport, but also the foundations of movement.

We look forward to getting to know all of you, and working with your young tennis stars.

Note:  To learn more about DAPA, you can visit the website, or contact Ashley or Tim.