sarah smith

I started playing tennis before I knew how to read, I think. One of the PTA moms at my elementary school was also a tennis coach, so some of my kindergarten and 1st grade classmates and I started taking casual tennis lessons with this coach. Back then, it was very low key-- we practiced on neighborhood courts, had pool parties, and spent ample time on the playground. As I got older, I honed my skills. The tennis club started expanding way beyond the capacity that the two neighborhood courts could hold, so our practices moved to a neighborhood with more courts. And all of the sudden, the few people that gathered for casual lessons turned into a full fledged tennis academy.

In my late elementary years, I spent hours practicing a day. Late elementary progressed into early middle school, which was really the peak of my tennis career. On the average day, I did my homework on the bus and immediately left to go to tennis practice. On weekends, my mom and I travelled around the state where I played in tennis tournaments. During the summer, I attended two practices a day. The other players in the academy and I played through the freezing cold, the sweltering heat, and everything in between. During these years of tennis, I learned how to succeed as an individual, but also how to contribute to a team effort. I learned to persevere and to always give 100% effort. I learned how to be patient, and I learned to overcome periods where nothing goes as planned.

I owe a lot of who I am today to those formative years on the courts where I learned so much. I am forever grateful for the incredible coaches who instilled good values in me and fostered an environment of growth. I hope that today I still continue to better myself, just like they taught me to do.