Steve Bean and Evan Heyliger have become the first father and son Bermudians to attain the International Tennis Federation Level 2 coaching badge.

Heyliger, 25, obtained the qualification in Guatemala earlier this month, becoming the third Bermudian to achieve the feat. Former Davis Cup player Gavin Manders was the first to get his certification in June last year, followed by Bean two months later.

The youngest of Bermuda’s level 2 qualified coaches is dreaming big, as he wants to go a notch higher.

“It is a privilege to be able to take the course for Bermuda,” Heyliger told The Royal Gazette. “You have to be selected at the regional level and mine was special since I was able to get permission to take the course in Guatemala.

“I loved the process and I'm happy to take the next steps and move forward, eventually becoming Bermuda's first level 3 coach. Any achievement is just the start of the next process.”

As his father had already completed the course, Heyliger got some insight into what to expect when he eventually went to the Central American country.

“Him and my mother have always been role models for me on how to teach,” he said.

“Jenson Bascome at Temple of Tennis is perhaps the best coach on the island, so I've learnt from the island's best since I started 11 years ago.

“My dad warned me early about the work needed to do well in the course. He told me before that he was waking up at 3am to study, and that was a big factor in doing as well as I did.

“It's good for Temple of Tennis to have two and for Bermuda to have three coaches that are qualified to coach at a higher level.”

Bean expressed his pride in his son having emulated him, with the Bermuda Davis Cup coach stating that he knows how difficult it is to attain the qualification.

“What an achievement for him to follow in my footsteps,” the 67-year-old said. “I did it in Trinidad last year and it was tough because out of about 25 coaches that took the exam, only five passed.

“The people who failed were established coaches with some of them former Davis Cup players.

“The amount of material that we had to be responsible for learning was one thing. You have a skills test, where you have to perform all on court as a tennis player.

“You have to coach an individual lesson as well as a group lesson. This is something he and I had done many times, but what makes it challenging is that you have to do it just as they outline.

“You have to follow everything exactly as set out, and I found it very challenging. Trying to produce everything inside 12 days is really tough.”

Bean was pleased that his son did his course in Spanish, a language he happens to be articulate in.

“What was more of a delight is that he did this in Guatemala in Spanish,” the father said.

“He’s fluent in Spanish and when he went down there, all the instructions were given in Spanish. For him to pass the test was great news for me.

“It’s always a pleasure knowing that your son is following in your footsteps. Him and I coach together at Temple of Tennis, and we run tennis camps together.

“We've also travelled together taking boys to tennis camps overseas, so I’m really enjoying the time with him.

“He endeavours to go for a level 3 coaching where he’ll be working with professional players. Having worked with him and watched him, I can say he’s a very good tennis coach.

“He’s very passionate about what he does. He’s a good tennis player himself, so all that goes hand in hand.”

Heyliger, who feels blessed to get the chance to do the course, spent years waiting for his breakthrough after getting his level 1 in 2016.

“I was asking for an opportunity to take this course for the last couple years, including while I was coaching abroad,’’ he said.

“I started studying the material last year, which helped a lot trying to get the highest grade. Again, I consider myself fortunate because I was only given the chance after working in pro tennis.

“This is a step in a longer journey, though, so the time before the course was about absorbing as much information as possible and so will the period after.”

In July, the young coach took charge of Bermuda’s under-12 boys team when they went to Dominican Republic for a Central American & Caribbean Tennis Confederation competition.

He believes the youngsters under his tutelage will benefit immensely from his latest qualification. “Coaching at higher levels is about attention to detail,” Heyliger said.

“I think that the little things that you learn, from the course information and from the other good coaches at the course, are already being put to use.

“Most coaches teach based on “feel” as well, whereas the best teachers in the world in any field teach with a detailed framework. This course and the regional conference in Trinidad just before are helping me add to my coaching processes.

“My dad and I spend a lot of time with our under-12 players and some of our under-16s, so they will be getting the full benefit of the level 2 coaching course information.”