Mathias Degardin

Director of Fire and Excel Program

Mathias was born and raised in Lyon, France. After playing tennis at a national level and finishing high school in France, he decided to pursue his tennis journey in the United States by joining the tennis team at the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA), #8 in the nation in NCAA Division II. Mathias was named Freshman of the year in his conference and finished his last two years as the captain of the tennis team and played #1 in singles and #1 in doubles. Mathias achieved a career-high of #40 in the nation in singles and #30 in the nation in doubles. During graduate school, Mathias played for one year for Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina, a top national NCAA Division II team. Mathias obtained a bachelor's degree in marketing at USCA and was named Outstanding Marketing Student in the class of 2018. In 2020, Mathias obtained his Master of Business Administration from Queens University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Sports and Entertainment Management at Manhattanville College.

Working in many different tennis academies, tennis clubs and, most recently, The Patterson Club for three years, he knows where his passion lies and where he can bring the most value and maximize his strengths. He recognizes the importance of being a good role model to the children he coaches and teaches. Working with and witnessing his students develop into tennis athletes is the process he finds most fulfilling and satisfying.

Mathias is also a registered yoga instructor and has been practicing yoga intensely for the past six years. His ultimate goal is to combine both disciplines, yoga, and tennis, and demonstrate that both disciplines complement each other extremely well. His teaching philosophy is that a tennis player with a strong core, slow and steady breathing, a calm mind, and effortless power is best suited to become a better tennis player.