Ofelia Zadegan

Growing up in an environment that pressured me into being a competitive athlete and a dedicated student, I didn’t have too much time to figure myself out yet. So, my identity was rather shaped by what I did instead of who truly I was. When taking turns sharing hobbies and introducing ourselves in class my go to was, “I’m Ofelia and I play tennis.” It didn’t take me very long to realize that my hobby wasn’t like my classmates’ hobbies. I sacrificed weekends my friends spent at the beach and nights of family dinner to be at practice or a tournament. As much pressure and as much stress I constantly carried with me, it was all I’d ever known. My summers were spent in the blaring heat on tennis courts in various cities, competing at the national level to improve my UTR (Universal Tennis Ranking). For people who’ve never played, it’s hard to understand the struggle of being out there by yourself, battling not only your opponent but your own mind. Despite the solitary nature of the game, I never felt alone. My coach, the late Bob Pass, was always glued to the fence cheering me on, as were the girls I trained with every day. However, after Coach Pass’ passing, our group was split up. The sport started to feel lonely, and I eventually made the difficult decision to stop competing. Although, I felt a sense of relief and weight lifted off my shoulders, I’d be lying if I said I never doubted my decision. But, I began to realize that it wasn’t tennis that was hard to give up, but the morals and traits Coach Pass consistently encouraged. Coach Pass’ empathic mentorship shaped me into who I am today and I have since channeled his mentorship into returning to the Pass Academy as a coach to keep his legacy alive. I offer encouragement to younger players, and share with them the mental strategies that helped me build resilience. I often recall Coach Pass’ detest for the word “can’t.” Whenever I uttered, “I can’t get to that ball,” or “I can’t hit a forehand,” I’d have to run sprints. I now uphold this same rule with the younger players I coach. Now, when people ask my name and what I like to do I say, “I’m Ofelia and I’m a tennis coach.” And I can proudly admit that I’m introducing myself as a big part of who I’ve become, instead of simply what I do.