Staff

Alvin (AJ) Varnado
Co-Director of A's & Aces, Director of Tennis
Coach Varnado, Co-Director of A's & Aces and Director of Tennis, comes to A's & Aces with a wide range of tennis experience, including high performance training.  He is a USPTA Elite Pro and USPTR Professional, completing his USPTA Masters certification, the highest tennis certification in the U.S.   Coach Varnado is a dedicated educator with over two decades of experience coaching players of all levels and educating the generation of next leaders. 
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David Schumacher, JD 
Tennis Coach
Coach Schumacher, co-founder of A's & Aces, was the top-ranked junior in Louisiana, a collegiate conference champion and played 50 pro events in Europe and the US. He is a USPTA Elite pro who has taught tennis to thousands of children including over 100 who have played collegiately, many earning tennis scholarships. During a seven year term ended by Hurricane Katrina, he guided the Tulane women’s team into the NCAA top-10, was five-times selected “Louisiana Coach of the Year" and was named Conference USA “Coach of the Decade”. He coached the first individual National Champions in any sport at Tulane in 50 years, Tulane’s first women’s tennis All-Americans, first Female Student-Athlete of the Year, 29 All-Conference selections, 35 individual ITA Scholar-Athletes and multiple Academic All-America teams. Post-Katrina he ran the Schumacher Tennis Club at Tulane until launching A's & Aces in 2008. Prior to coaching at Tulane, he practiced law for 18 years and coached juniors in evenings and on weekends. 
Kenny Waguespack (retired)
Volunteer Tennis Coach and USTA-certified Referee
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Coach Waguespack joined the staff following his retirement from Encompass Insurance Company where he worked for many years as a large loss property adjuster.  Kenny is a life-long tennis enthusiast and has been a committed A's & Aces volunteer on the courts and serving as the certified USTA Referee for all A's & Aces' USTA sanctioned tournaments.  In 2019, he joined A's & Aces as a staff and part-time coach. Coach Kenny is a USPTA Certified Pro. 

Matison Williams
Dr. James W. Ewers Jr. Junior Fellow (2023 cohort)

Matison was selected as Dr. James W. Ewers Jr. Junior Fellow in the spring of 2023.  Matison is an incoming first-year student at Ben Franklin High School. Matison is an accomplished Louisiana tennis player who plans to play tennis in high school and college. She is ranked top 30 in the State in her age division. Matison had a 4.0 GPA throughout elementary and middle school, graduating as a salutarian.  As a Junior Fellow, she helps with practices, assisting lead coaches, as well as working on her own game. 
SAFEGUARDING: ALL (ADULT) A'S & ACES INSTRUCTORS ARE USTA SAFEPLAY CERTIFIED WHICH INCLUDES A BACKGROUND CHECK.
​THIS CERTIFICATION IS RENEWED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.