Meet Your Coach
PhD · Sports Performance Coach · CSCS · NASM
Performance strategist, coach, and researcher. Two decades inside high-performance environments. 500+ athletes coached across 15+ sports and 3 continents — including WTA professional tennis players and pro pickleball players.
I think in systems, not exercises. I look for patterns, not shortcuts. Every program is built from diagnostic data and adjusted in real time.
In short
Darren J Paul, PhD, is a sports performance coach and the founder of DJP Athlete, based in Zephyrhills, Florida (Tampa Bay area). He has spent two decades inside high-performance environments and has coached 500+ athletes across 15+ sports and three continents, including WTA professional tennis players and professional pickleball players. His certifications include CSCS (NSCA) and NASM-CPT, alongside a PhD and a degree in exercise science. He delivers in-person training at his Tampa Bay facility and online coaching for athletes worldwide, plus return-to-performance assessments for athletes coming back from injury. His approach is diagnostic-driven and individualized: systems over exercises, patterns over shortcuts.
Credentials & Certifications
Backed by education and industry-recognized certifications to deliver world-class coaching.
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
B.S. in Exercise Science & Kinesiology
Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Two Decades of High-Performance Experience
Ganna
I’m a professional tennis player and I’m so glad to have crossed paths with coach Darren! Very grateful and lucky for the opportunity to work together. He’s truly the best coach I’ve ever worked with. He builds not only my athletic performance, but my personality as well. Extremely knowledgeable, supportive and genuinely invested in your growth. The best🫶
Tina Pisnik
I’ve been working with Darren for the past two years, and the consistency and results speak for themselves. His online training program is extremely well structured, easy to follow, and perfectly tailored to my needs as a professional athlete. The workouts are delivered clearly through his platform, which makes it seamless to train from my home gym or anywhere I am at the moment, while still feeling fully coached and accountable. Darren understands performance, injury prevention, and long-term athletic development at a very high level. Beyond that, he brings great energy to everything he does, he’s knowledgeable, motivating, and yes… funny and charming! But most importantly, he gets results and truly cares about the athletes he works with. I couldn’t recommend him more.
Abigail Rencheli
As someone who’s been in sports most of her life and worked with countless coaches, I can confidently say Darren is truly one of the best. He’s extremely passionate about what he does and his knowledge and expertise is evident in how personalized and detail-oriented his program is. What really sets him apart is how much he genuinely cares about you as a person first. He takes the time to understand individual goals, limitations, and strengths, and makes you feel supported every step of the way. Darren creates a very enjoyable environment that makes you look forward to every session, even when you sometimes don’t feel like working out.
Jay Nistad
I want to take a moment to recognize and sincerely thank Darrin Paul for everything he has done for my son, Peter Nistad. Peter is a high-level 16-year-old tennis player, and Darrin has been an incredibly important part of his development—not just physically, but mentally as well. His knowledge, attention to detail, and commitment to doing things the right way have made a real difference in Peter’s performance on court. What I appreciate most is that Darrin truly cares. He doesn’t take shortcuts, he focuses on long-term progress, and he puts injury prevention at the center of everything he does. As a parent, it’s a great feeling knowing Peter is training with someone who prioritizes his health, his future, and his confidence as an athlete. We’ve seen noticeable improvements in Peter’s movement, strength, and overall durability, and that has translated directly into better performance and more consistency on the court. Darrin has been supportive, motivating, and steady through every step of the process. We are genuinely grateful for the time, effort, and heart Darrin brings to his work. I would recommend him without hesitation to any athlete or parent looking for a trainer who truly makes a difference.
Mary Starr - Total Wellness Doc
Yortago Athlete Health and Performance was exactly what we needed for our 15 year old Autistic son Joshua. Josh had grown very fast, was under muscled, had low energy, core weakness and struggled with his gate. Every session we see more and more improvement in his stamina, muscle gains, gate and cognitive improvements. We are also seeing improvements in concentration and reading. Because he has social anxiety the one on one sessions are perfect and he loves coming to see Coach Darrin. Darrin has a great way with Josh that is encouraging but pushes him. We are very happy with Yortago!
Training Philosophy
Great coaching is not about pushing harder — it is about training smarter. I believe in building athletes from the ground up: mastering movement quality, developing sport-specific strength, and creating sustainable habits that carry through an entire career.
No two athletes are the same. Every program is built around your unique goals, sport, and body.
Your health and longevity come first. We build performance on a foundation of injury prevention and recovery.
Training is better together. Our athletes support and push each other to be their best.
I grew up as a multi-sport athlete — competing in track and field, football, and basketball through college. Along the way, I experienced firsthand what it is like to train without proper guidance. Nagging injuries, plateaus, and burnout were constant companions.
When I discovered the science of athletic performance — periodization, biomechanics, and sport psychology — everything changed. I realized that with the right approach, athletes could train harder while staying healthier and performing at levels they never thought possible.
That realization became my mission. I went back to school for Exercise Science, earned my certifications, and started coaching. DJP Athlete is the culmination of everything I have learned — a platform where every athlete, regardless of level, can access the coaching and tools they need to reach their full potential.
Ready to start training?
Whether you are an aspiring athlete or a seasoned competitor, there is a place for you here.