Meet Stéphane Jolicoeur | Director and Head Pro, DETA Pickleball Club

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stéphane Jolicoeur and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stéphane, what do you attribute your success to?
Show up no matter what. Despite one’s challenges and uncertainties, it’s important to keep going. You might feel scared or worried at times, but remember, at the end of the day, perseverance pays off. Flexibility and willingness to try new things can lead to discovering what works best. It’s crucial for continuity to offer something, even when attendance is low consistently.

When people observe that you’ve weathered the storm and emerged stronger, they’ll recognize the solidity and value of what you offer. This resilience will attract others, ensuring that you’ll have a supportive community around you. It’s about being reliable and accountable.

Nowadays, more people tend to sign up on the day of the event. Although it’s only a small percentage, maintaining a consistent schedule and hosting regular events can foster the behavior you’re aiming to cultivate.
From my experience, the key is creating the behavior you want to adopt. Standing firm through the tough times and being adaptable in your approach will help build a strong, engaged community and demonstrate the undeniable value of what you provide.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Well, to tie things together a bit, I’ll start from the beginning. I’m originally from Haiti, where I started playing tennis when I was 10. Not too long after, I was participating in tournaments and even got to represent my country. At 15, my family and I moved to Gainesville, Florida, and continued playing tennis even more seriously, going around the state playing tournaments. I also played high school tennis, and we won the state championship. Despite that, my true passion was geared towards academics, specifically engineering. I completed my engineering studies at the University of Florida, earning my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. I bleed orange and blue.

Throughout my college journey, I took on the role of a tennis coach, supporting me financially and enriching my student life. I completed my undergraduate studies in Industrial Engineering, complementing it with a minor in Business, and attained a Master’s degree in Manufacturing and Logistics Systems. Even as I delved deeper into my academic pursuits, I remained actively involved in playing and coaching tennis under the auspices of the USTA.

Throughout my college journey, I took on the role of a tennis coach, supporting me financially and enriching my student life. I completed my undergraduate studies in Industrial Engineering, complementing it with a minor in Business, and attained a Master’s degree in Manufacturing and Logistics Systems. Even as I delved deeper into my academic pursuits, I remained actively involved in playing and coaching tennis under the auspices of the USTA.

After a decade in the corporate sector in Atlanta, including many years of traveling the world and learning so much, I finally decided to leave the job that was no longer fulfilling. I settled back in Gainesville, where I taught tennis full-time, and at the same time, I launched a marketing business focused on website development and social media management.

I discovered pickleball around 2015. However, I only played once a week for a few months since I returned to the corporate sector. I worked for a company for a few years, but they weren’t doing too well, so things ended up not working out. So here I am again at a crossroads, and this time I decided to push on and move to Davie, Florida, to be closer, revive that little marketing business and see what’s next.

That’s when I rediscovered pickleball and never looked back. I was playing every day and as much as I could. Just like everyone else, I was addicted. I began participating in tournaments and eventually turned professional. Not too long after, one of my close friends, a coach, fell ill but as he got better, he asked me to help him teach his lessons since he couldn’t stay at home with nothing to do. I quickly realized I could draw from my many years of tennis teaching.

Given that he was already a popular player and coach, many people were going to him, so I proposed that I work for him. But he said no. That was hard at the time, but it was the best thing that had happened to me.

Looking back, it was such a tough time then. I remember having weeks where I only had 1 or 2 lessons and spent a good amount of time at home watching TV. It finally clicked that entrepreneurship is not for everyone and that if I wanted the flexibility and other perks that come with it, I had to work hard and go after it. Nothing would be given to me. Therefore, from that point on, I started to spend a whole lot more time at the courts playing with lower level and even playing tournaments that I would never play in before, but that’s where my future students were, so I had to do it, and it sure paid off. From then on, I never looked back, and I am here today.

As you heard my background, I could have had a much bigger job and could have been working for a huge company, but after seeing everything that’s going on in the world, I decided on this path because it is so much more fulfilling and worth so much more to help people. And through Pickleball, I’m able to do just that. When I look back at the relationships that I’ve built as a coach, the number of people that I’ve helped, whether it’s their pickleball game or their confidence on and off the court or simply to exercise, the satisfaction that I get when I see my students thrive means so much more than a huge paycheck or a big company title. I get to be part of those people’s journeys; if you only knew how great it feels when you have one of your 80-year-old students come to her lesson all happy because she did what I taught her, and now she’s playing better. Or another student who finally got the gold medal for which he had worked so hard. Priceless!

So, with that, I still have the big goal of growing Pickleball as much as possible to change people’s lives, get them more active, and even get some to be great competitors. I have so much to thank pickleball for because it has allowed me to create a life where I get the flexibility I want and so much satisfaction contributing to people’s journeys.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Here’s where I would take my best friend visiting in town:

· To the beach: You can’t beat the beach. It’s a must-visit. Coming from Haiti, I can’t picture my life without the beach, sun, and ocean in it.

· Wynwood – Artistic Area: Heading to Wynwood is a must. There’s a lot to see and enjoy over there. I could say that there’s a little something for everyone.

· DETA Pickleball Club: Of course, we have to play some pickleball. So I always recommend playing at DETA Pickleball Club. Anyone from any level will enjoy it.

· The Citadel: For dining: The Citadel, which is in Little Haiti, is definitely a place you got to visit. They have a rooftop bar and lots of great food vendors. One of my favorites is Manjay. When I’m looking for a taste of home, I go there.

· Haitian Pizza at POTIWA PIZZA: Haitian pizza is uncommon yet incredibly delicious. They take the best of Haitian food and put it on a pizza. It’s amazingly good.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

Oh wow, what a question. When it comes to life, I could say that I have a long list, from people to books and everything in between. But above all, I would say that my parents deserve a big shoutout as I certainly didn’t and still do not follow the conventional path. Nonetheless, through it all, they have been my biggest supporters, even during really tough times.

To see my dad, a very strict and by-the-book man, accept me leaving the corporate world, then being an entrepreneur going from business to business or project to project to land on Pickleball finally, has been somewhat inspiring and a good motivator. Despite uncertainties and not understanding things or some of my decisions, seeing him ask questions, trying to understand things, and still helping with his advice and support means a lot to me.

Now, after working very hard to be a great coach and make my name in the Pickleball world, these days, I must give a great amount of credit to Jacit Gonzalez and David Ensignia.

They decided to venture into the world of pickleball. It was a big move for them to expand into pickleball after so many years of focusing solely on tennis. David Ensignia Tennis Academy is well known for its instruction. Jacit and David trusted me to bring this vision to life. They offered me the chance to play a pivotal role in building the club and joining them on this exciting journey. They gambled on my potential, entrusting me with the significant responsibility of managing and overseeing the club’s operations. That says a lot, and with that, I will continue to work hard and do my best so that DETA Pickleball Club stays the best place in Miami to play and enjoy Pickleball.

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Image Credits
DETA Pickleball Club