Tim Bauer’s career has spanned coaching world ranked WTA and ATP Professional tennis players and NCAA competitors, to directing distinguished private clubs and resorts. He has served some of the top names in tennis including Saddlebrook, Nike Tennis Camps, Van Der Meer and Yonex Racquet Sports. His consulting guides elite professional athletes, as well as executives in high pressure performance environments beyond center court.
A formally trained and certified teacher, Tim Bauer's passion as an educator and his belief in sport as a pathway to health and higher function has shaped an approach which uses sport to reach both child and adult, novice and champion. Tim has been instrumental in the building and reinvention of athletes, sports programs, and facilities through his ability to cultivate a team culture founded on a vision of quality, service and excellence. Using equal parts art and science, Tim has helped athletes triumph, programs grow, and facilities prosper through careful management and innovative guidance.
Tim has built and revitalized programs through fresh perspectives, quality teaching, personalized service, business management and selective team building. Whether guiding the historic Boar’s Head Resort, the #1 Private Tennis Facility of the Year in 2008, a million-dollar transformation of a small 100-year-old Florida Yacht Club or the complete multi-million-dollar rebuilding projects at The Greater Naples YMCA in Florida and Michigan State University’s 36 court NCAA Division I tennis program and complex, Tim has been influential in taking on challenges and lifting results to new heights.
As Sports Director in the elite private club environment, Tim turned around The Sports Club at Mediterra in Naples, Florida. Through his vision, every department under his watch dramatically increased services and member satisfaction including Fitness, Spa, Tennis and Bocce. Mediterra, which ranks in the top 10% of private clubs worldwide, was awarded as one of America’s Healthiest Clubs by Prevo Health Solutions in 2013. During the same year, Tim invited former WTA #1 Venus Williams and ATP #1 Mats Willander to Mediterra to meet and inspire the tennis membership.
As coach and Sport Scientist, Tim has put his mark on two of the world's most prominent tennis academies. Tim directed the Sport Science program at Dennis Van Der Meer’s acclaimed World Class Tennis Academy and Resort on Hilton Head Island, bringing new training methods to an already successful international program. Additionally, his work as a Sport Psychology consultant at Saddlebrook Tennis and Golf Academy in Tampa, Florida has created the Mental Performance curriculum which guides the elite players who train full time at the academy.
His depth of experience coaching high performance athletes contributed to the success of world ranked players on the ATP/WTA tours at the world’s most prestigious events. Coaching and consulting work with top athletes has brought him to Grand Slam events including the US Open, Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The successes of these players include top 30 world rankings, several #1 National rankings and a round of 16 US Open appearance by Joanette Kruger.
Tim’s involvement with NCAA Division I programs has been spanned well over a decade, at University of Florida (as intern), Florida State & Michigan State (in coaching roles). As Assistant Coach, Tim helped guide the FSU Seminoles to the NCAA Top 20 and their best season in history. As Head Coach, Michigan State captured their first ever NCAA Division I National team and individual singles rankings. Tim has also coached each of these university teams to the top overall team GPA on campus, resulting in a variety of successful alumni, including MSU’s top Student Athlete of 2005.
While at Michigan State, Tim designed and built a nationally recognized Nike Tennis Camp for Adults, Juniors and Ranked players. The MSU camp quickly became one of the top in the USA for Nike, employing over 20 staff and often serving well over 100 campers a week. His Nike camps have scored near perfect with a 98% customer satisfaction rate in exit surveys and a high return rate each year.
As a designer and consultant, Tim has put his mark on sports facilities making them more efficient, effective and aesthetically pleasing. His tennis concepts have been used internationally and have won the 2012 American Sports Builder’s Association Award for Outstanding Facility as well as the USTA’s 2013 Outstanding Facility Award which he accepted in New York at the 2013 US Open.
His work at the Greater Naples YMCA revived an aging and derelict 10 court tennis facility raising over $350,000, bringing it up to become one of the most unique facilities in South Florida and in the YMCA system. The Y, via Tim’s vision, now includes 2 Grand Slam replica surfaces: US Open Deco Turf and French Open European Red Clay. In addition to adding a miniature Children’s court for ages 3 and 4, Tim’s creation of a top staff, new programming, marketing and customer service again innovates to serve a YMCA of over 10,000 members providing tennis for all ages and levels, from beginner to the collegiate and professional athlete using tennis to teach life lessons.
Academically, a passion for knowledge of the technical and mental aspects of athletics led him to the University of Florida’s revered College of Health and Human Performance in Gainesville, Florida, where he lectured in Exercise and Sport Science and completed a master’s degree in Sport Psychology and Motor Learning. While attaining a B.A. in Health and Exercise Science, Tim played NCAA Division I tennis at Furman University in Greenville, SC where his team captured 4 straight Southern Conference Championships. As a Junior, Tim trained under renowned Romanian Davis Cup Coach László Serester on Long Island, New York.
Tim's athletic, academic and scientific background, combined with years of experience working with talented performers, helped develop his holistic and inspired methods. His wide ranging study of 'the roots of excellence' in all types of high performers including that of artists, musicians, designers, executives and others, contributes to his creative mental approach and his understanding of what it takes to be truly great in any endeavor. Common among each of his roles is Tim's dedication to helping others to excellence through personal relationships and a thorough understanding of each performance environment.
