Coaching Spotlight: Michelle Stoerback, SPORTIME New York

If you have participated in an adult tennis or pickleball tournament on Long Island, there’s a good chance that you have interacted with Michelle Stoerback, who runs events and tournaments practically every weekend.

Stoerback is the Adult Tennis Director for Sportime Clubs here on Long Island, and has become a fixture at all different types of events.

“I love bringing people together,” said Stoerback about her passion for what she does. “Tournaments have a way of uniting players, fans, volunteers and staff from diverse backgrounds and cultures, creating a sense of community and camaraderie. I have a deep love for tennis, and running tournaments allows me to immerse myself in the sport and contribute to its growth and development.”

That love for the sport is evident when you are around Stoerback and she has a unique ability to connect with the players and participants with whom she interacts. David Sickmen, who runs the Long Island Tennis Magazine Challenge tournaments, encapsulated it perfectly:

“I certainly want to thank my co-director Michelle Stoerback, whose passion and energy for adult tennis is second to none,” said Sickmen after a recent LITM Challenge event.

For Stoerback, landing a career in the tennis industry was not something she envisioned for herself originally. Growing up, she played tennis but did so just for fun, and was not someone who trained to tried to play competitively.

But she did begin playing nearly every day at SPORTIME  in 2012, and a couple of years later, she was offered a job by the club.

“Tennis was always a recreational activity for me growing up,” she said. “Having a career in tennis wasn’t something I had planned; it simply just happened.”

And since 2014, Stoerback has taken the ball and ran with it, helping to grow the adult tennis programs as well as usher in innovative ways to run events. While she did not set out to work full-time in the racquet sports industry, she has found a home at SPORTIME, and loves not only where she works but who she works with.

“If you have a passion for sports, especially tennis, SPORTIME offers you the opportunity to work in an environment where you can engage with the sport you love every day,” said Stoerback. “SPORTIME also fosters a sense of community and camaraderie among staff members who share a common interest. Building relationships with colleagues who share your passion makes work more enjoyable.”

Since she began at SPORTIME, Stoerback’s role has diversified and expanded, ranging from running adult and junior tennis programs to operating leagues and tournaments, all of which have helped her grow and continue to get better at what she does.

“My journey in tennis has been marked by a dynamic evolution, encompassing diverse roles within the world of racquet sports,” Stoerback says. “Beginning as a league director, I gained invaluable experience in organization, communication and event management. Advancing to the role of Adult Tennis Director, I broadened my responsibilities to include overseeing adult programming, coaching and player development. Progressing further, my role expanded to Tournament Director, where I assumed a central role in orchestrating competitive events catering to both adults and juniors.”

More recently, with the surge in popularity of pickleball across the world, SPORTIME has embraced this and vastly expanded its pickleball offerings, and Stoerback has been instrumental in helping that.

While at their core, running different types of tournaments have their similarities, but depending on the sport or the type of event, Stoerback has to adjust accordingly.

“The primary distinction between tennis and pickleball tournaments is court size and the facilities needed, as well as the duration of matches,” she explained. “Pickleball courts demand less space and therefore different venues can be used, whereas tennis tournaments typically need larger facilities with more courts, seating and amenities in comparison to pickleball. Finally, pickleball matches tend to be shorter than tennis matches which impacts schedules.”

Despite all of these factors that have to be considered when running these tournaments, Stoerback’s success in this field is derived from her love and passion for what she does. The desire to comb over every detail needed for organizing draws, booking courts, arranging schedules and more, plus interacting with the players, is something she enjoys doing.

“For someone with an affection for tennis, organizing tournaments offers an opportunity to fully engage with the sport and activtely contribute to its growth is amazing,” said Stoerback. “I’ve adopted a proactive approach by planning ahead, identifying potential issue and devising contingency measures. Discovering innovative solutions to these hurdles can produce great results, and I love that process.”

As a result, Stoerback has been recognized for her dedication and work in the community. Back in 2019, she was named the Adult Volunteer of the Year by the USTA Eastern Long Island Region. And last year, the Eastern Section honored her with the Special Service Award, which is awarded to a person who has made a special contribution to tennis in the Section.

“I don’t do this to receive awards or be honored by anything, but it is of course an incredibly humbling thing to be recognized,” said Stoerback. “It’s a validation of the hard work you put in and is a reflection of what your peers and the industry think about you. They will make me strive to continue to get better and remain motivated.”

Nobody in this industry has more passion and enthusiasm when it comes to what she does, and that will continue to be on display as she runs tournaments and events throughout the rest of the summer and beyond.