Coaching Experience
Franco Castejon started as a coach in Venezuela in 1996 working with both junior and professional players. Following his work there, he directed the junior competition program for a tennis academy in Ecuador while traveling with the players during several tours of the COSAT circuit in South America. Additionally, he accompanied juniors and professionals to ITF tournaments and coached players who participated in futures tournaments on the WTA circuit.
Franco has also worked as the personal coach for junior players nationally ranked in the U.S. and has extensive experience in national and international USTA and ITF events. He had the opportunity to travel with a group of American players to Spain several times in order to attend training and tournaments.
In recent times, he has worked with a local player who competes on the ITF junior and professional circuit, traveling around the globe with succesful results in China, Mexico and Uruguay.
During his employment at various clubs, he had the opportunity to work with adults in his conduction of clinics, private sessions, the organization of club ladders, tournaments, leagues and many other events, including working at a re-known tennis resort in San Diego. For the last several years he has directed the racquets programs for prestigious Country Clubs in Rancho Santa Fe, CA.
As a Head Coach Castejon conducted a large tennis program in Sunriver, Oregon with over 400 players; running clinics, tennis socials, tournaments, and private and group lessons for adults and children.
As a coach he has ascertained the USPTA Elite Professional Certification, the CRSE (Certified Racquet Sport Executive) Certification, the ITF level 2 International Certification, a Masters of Tennis Management, Teaching and Training from the Valencian International University in Spain (2012), the Pickleball ITPTA Certification and attended multiple world and regional tennis conferences, including the 2013 ITF Worldwide Coaches Conference in Mexico and USPTA/USTA world conferences in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 .
As a player
A native of Barquisimeto, Venezuela Franco has been a part of the tennis world for over 30 years. His father instilled in him the passion for the sport the early age of five, Franco's growing love for competition and hard work highlighted throughout junior divisions when he reached third national ranking in singles and first in doubles.
He also participated in the South American tennis circuit “COSAT”, capturing a world ranking and competing in many countries. As a professional player he entered several future, satellite and challenger events achieving a career ATP ranking in singles and doubles.
Franco has played in Pro-Am’s and exhibitions in a number of countries, including the Desert Smash charity event in La Quinta, California where he performed next to players like Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Fernando Verdasco, Bob and Mike Bryan, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Dinara Safina and more. He won the collegiate national championship in both singles and doubles as a freshman in 1996 in Venezuela and obtained his Bachelor Degree in Industrial Engineering.
Encouraged by his students Castejon still competes in high level tournaments throughout the U.S. and abroad and keeps that motivation and love for the sport intact.
In 2016, Franco competed with great success in the +35 division obtaining a gold ball in singles in USTA National Category I Tournaments. He achieved the year-end top position in the National Singles Ranking and 3rd in doubles. Internationally, he claimed titles at the ITF Grade A Championship in Mexico City in both singles and doubles. He finished the year top 15th in singles and 26th in doubles in the ITF world rankings. In 2017, he was selected to represent the U.S. at the ITF Young Seniors World Team Championship.
