Meet the team!
Ta-Ming Shih
Head Coach & Director
Ta-Ming has played racquet sports all of his life, with badminton being his main focus competitively (in his younger days). These days, pickleball has become his favorite—thanks to its mix of strategy, accessibility, and the welcoming community around it. What started as a simple idea to teach pickleball at his son's school quickly turned into a growing youth program that now spans multiple school districts in the Greater Seattle Area.
As a parent of two school-aged kids, Ta-M ing is passionate about creating fun, meaningful ways for young players to play and build confidence through pickleball. He's especially proud of the amazing team of coaches who choose to give their time and energy to help kids fall in love with the game. Ta-Ming and his team are excited about expanding opportunities for young players to learn, grow, and be part of the sport’s amazing momentum!
Thien Nguyen (Coach T)
Head Coach
Coach T is a dedicated coach with years of experience working with young athletes across multiple sports, including Frisbee, volleyball, and most notably, pickleball. As pickleball rapidly grows worldwide, Coach T focuses on introducing the game to new athletes while mentoring returning players at higher competitive levels. He is great at connecting with kids, and he ensures every athlete feels heard and understood, while maintaining a structured and progressive coaching plan tailored to each skill level.
As Head Coach for the Let’s Play Pickleball Program, Coach T oversees fellow coaches and assistants, ensuring sessions run smoothly and effectively. Working alongside Program Director Ta Ming, he plays a vital role in the program’s growth, including designing curriculum. Coach T is committed to the positive impact of pickleball on young athletes—teaching fundamentals, encouraging sportsmanship, and providing a trusted support system for athletes and parents.
Ian Laventure
Head Coach
Ian is a lifelong athlete and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with a Master’s degree in Kinesiology. He discovered pickleball after moving to Seattle in 2021 and has been playing ever since. With a background in hockey, baseball, soccer, and a handful of other sports, Ian brings a well-rounded athletic perspective to his coaching. He’s especially passionate about making pickleball accessible, fun, and challenging for players of all ages.
When he’s not coaching in the gym or on the court, you’ll usually find him playing drop-in games around Greenlake or signing up for tournaments all along the I-5 corridor — occasionally snagging a medal, but mostly just in it for the fun and some post-game food and beer.
Always learning, always teaching, and enjoying every rally.
Haley VanAllen
Head Coach
Haley has played many sports throughout her life, with her main sport being basketball. After playing tennis growing up, she picked up pickleball during the summer of 2022 and fell in love with the pickleball community and sport as a whole. Throughout her time at the University of Washington, she has played and won various intramural sports each quarter, one of which was women's doubles pickleball. Haley is excited about getting more serious about playing, and will be competing in pickleball tournaments in the summer. She has experience coaching youth sports, as well as officiating and scorekeeping for various sports. She has loved teaching the sport of pickleball to her family members, and now to Seattle youth. As a coach, Haley focuses on instilling confidence in players in order for them to reach their full potential as athletes, as well as prioritizing fun in the process!
Daniel Strain
Head Coach
Daniel has been playing pickleball for 15 years, first picking up the sport at summer camp in the San Juan Islands here in Washington. He rediscovered his love for the game in 2021 and quickly advanced to a competitive level, medaling in 4.0-4.5 tournaments. Daniel has been coaching for over three years, working with players of all ages and skill levels. Well known in the Seattle pickleball community, he emphasizes smart shot selection, court awareness, and drilling with purpose while keeping lessons engaging and fun.
Favorite shot: A pickleball classic—the drop shot.
What Daniel loves most about pickleball is how it blends competition with connection. He thrives on the energy of the game, the friendships formed on and off the court, and the satisfaction of helping players improve. Whether coaching or competing, he’s always looking for ways to challenge himself and others while keeping the game fun.
Maesun Dier-Markley
Head Coach
Maesun has grown up with the sport of pickleball. She started playing with her family when she was young, and ever since then, she's been hooked. These days, she’s the one introducing her college roommates and friends to the game she loves. She’s even organized plenty of tournaments just for fun, adding some friendly competition to the mix!
Beyond playing, Maesun has a background in officiating all kinds of youth sports, and enjoys stepping into a coaching role to help others learn and grow. What she loves most about pickleball is its accessibility - how anyone can jump in and have a great time. She’s played with everyone from her 85-year-old grandparents to her 5-year-old nephew! Whether she’s teaching new skills or mixing things up with creative challenges, she always keeps the vibe fun and positive!
Jim Bialick
Head Coach
Jim B is a devoted pickleball coach and health enthusiast who blends a lifelong love of sports—from his baseball days to his time as a nationally ranked track and field athlete—with a solid background in community health. Every morning at 6 am, he starts his day on the pickleball court, a ritual that energizes him and sets the tone for a successful day. His relaxed yet practical approach makes pickleball fun and accessible for players of all fitness levels, as he focuses on building strength, mobility, balance, and injury prevention. Drawing on extensive experience in health and wellness, Jim believes that good hand-eye coordination and strategic movement can boost confidence and agility both on the court and in everyday life. And his first rule? Have fun!
Raine Kim
Assistant Coach
Raine discovered pickleball about two years ago and quickly fell in love with its perfect blend of social connection, friendly competition, and accessibility. She now plays competitively with the University of Washington’s pickleball team—Go Dawgs! Raine is passionate about introducing new players to the game and sharing the joy that pickleball brings.
Felix Long
Assistant Coach
Felix is a junior at the University of Washington who loves to play pickleball in his free time. Born and raised in San Diego, California, Felix learned how to play pickleball with his best friends in the summer of 2023. From simple recreational play, him and his friends quickly became competitive. Now, every time Felix returns home, him and his friends make sure to play pickleball daily as it became their primary hobby. Felix plans to continue playing with his friends and has thought about taking his skills to future tournaments. Felix loves working with kids, especially because of his 7 year old little brother, whom he plans to teach the art of pickleball. Felix is stoked to continue assistant coaching and is looking forward for what the future seasons hold!
Phillip Stamolis
Assistant Coach
Phillip’s athletic background spans a wide range of disciplines—from soccer and skiing to biking and mountaineering—each shaping his approach to movement and adventure. Rather than focusing on a single sport, he’s always valued variety, seeking out challenges that test both physical endurance and mental grit.
A visit to Bainbridge Island—where he discovered pickleball’s origin—sparked a deeper appreciation for the sport’s roots and its growing culture in the Pacific Northwest. Since then, Phillip has immersed himself in the sport both as a player and as a coach.
Phillip brings energy, patience, and a focus on positive reinforcement to every session. He supports young athletes by meeting them where they are, helping them build confidence, stay engaged, and enjoy the learning journey.
Will Melhorn
Assistant Coach
Will grew up in a family of tennis players and teachers, so was taught to play a variety of racket sports very young. From playing badminton on lunch breaks, to tennis camps over the summer and lots of competitive brotherly games of table tennis, Will has found there's always fun to be had and a lesson to be learned with a paddle or racket in your hand! Will discovered pickleball with his university friends a few years ago and since then has had a ton of fun growing in the sport and making great connections through the game. Will enjoys sharing his passion for pickleball and helping students find aspects of the sport to get excited about.
Ferrin Essence
Program Coordinator
With a background in education and a focus on equity and inclusion, Ferrin is dedicated to creating opportunities where all kids can thrive. As Program Coordinator, they work behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly—managing logistics, supporting coaches, and growing the program to reach more kids and families.
A lifelong fan of sports and games, Ferrin believes in the power of play to build confidence, foster community, and encourage teamwork. They’re passionate about providing kids with the chance to explore sports and develop valuable life skills. They’re especially proud of working with a talented team of coaches who bring energy and passion to every session.