Celebrating USTA NorCal's Tennis Champions
To all of us in the USTA family, tennis is more than just a sport. It’s a way to stay healthy, connect people and communities, and be an activity for a lifetime. That’s why USTA created a new program called Tennis Champions that educates, connects, and inspires people with a passion for tennis to help us grow tennis in their local communities.
No matter if you’re a tennis fan or an avid player, the Tennis Champions program celebrates all tennis lovers regardless of skill level or tennis involvement. The inaugural program kicked off earlier this year across the nation and served up fun monthly challenges for advocates to promote tennis in their own communities.
Each month, Tennis Champions were asked to complete specific challenges ranging from digital to in-person tasks, including social media posts, distributing fliers and banners, and donating an equipment kit to a gift or toy drive, all with USTA providing helpful resources along the way.
And if simply spreading the tennis love was not enough for these passionate tennis junkies, participants also got access to exclusive tennis promo codes and coupons, monthly educational webinars and networking, and opportunities to earn up to $600 worth of incentives
At USTA NorCal, we are extremely proud to have 21 of our members who have committed to the Tennis Champions program to support the overall mission of growing the game. We will be collecting stories on several of our local Tennis Champions, their love of the sport, and their tennis journeys to bring more tennis to all areas across Northern California. Take a look below.
And if this all sounds great to you, find out more here on how to become a Tennis Champion and join the fun yourself!
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Siegle
For Elizabeth Siegle, starting tennis when she was in kindergarten was not a love at the first moment feeling. In fact, she hated it. But after coming back to the sport in eighth grade, she fell in love this time around and went on to play as a junior, coach tennis to kids in Burlingame and Hillsborough, and then play in college. Now, after college, she currently plays several times a week throughout San Francisco and participates in USTA NorCal Adult Leagues.
And because tennis is such a big part of her life, Siegle knew the Tennis Champion program would be perfect for her, as she was already constantly trying to recruit her friends to play tennis for the many mental, physical, and social aspects of the game.
“Tennis has shaped my life in so many ways and has been a constant part of my life in high school, college, and now post-grad, so I want to help do the same for others,” Siegle shared. “I feel grateful to have had amazing tennis coaches, partners, friends, and teams when I grew up in the Bay Area. I wanted to give back to the community in the same way and help cultivate a great, fun, and inclusive community now that I'm out of school.”
Throughout her Tennis Champion journey, Siegle shared tennis resources across the San Francisco community, including at the Golden Gate Park Tennis Center, Lafayette Park, Alta Plaza Park, and Bay Club. And while she has enjoyed all of the challenges, her favorite was handing out postcards to recruit new players.
“I enjoyed handing out postcards at the new Golden Gate Park tennis center! It's a good conversation starter,” she added. “I met some amazing people so far by doing so, and I love how tennis is a lifelong sport, connecting people of all ages and backgrounds.”
As Siegle continues her Tennis Champion journey and completes her six challenges, she is enjoying the experience so much that she would happily participate in the program again. She also said she has been inspired by meeting new people and hopes to become more involved in the San Francisco tennis community, eventually captaining a team and finding other tennis volunteering opportunities.
Weimin Ding
After living in an apartment complex that offered tennis lessons, Ding decided to give the sport a try on a whim, and he hasn’t looked back since.
“When the racket hits the ball, it gives you a special feeling when it happens,” Ding said. “For me, it's not about winning or losing. Frankly, tennis itself is a kind of magic.”
And that feeling is exactly what Ding hopes to pass on to others in his role as a Tennis Champion.
“I decided to become a Tennis Champion because it is an excellent opportunity to promote my favorite sport - tennis," Ding added. “It is a sport that can connect people and bring communities together, so I think it is important to help people get involved.”
As a Tennis Champion, Ding has spread posters throughout his neighborhood and handed out banners. He is also a member of several tennis social groups, and he worked to introduce tennis beginners into these groups so they could learn the sport and enjoy the social interactions as well.
“The challenges have all been fun, but the one I was looking forward to the most was the last one where we donate tennis gear to charity,” Ding added. “I feel it is a great tennis way to help the community and give back.”
And not only is Ding dedicated to inspiring more people to play tennis in his community through the Tennis Champion program, but he also has several personal efforts to get more people interested in the sport.
Ding offers voluntary tennis classes for kids in his community every Sunday morning.
“I love doing this. I like to teach both kids and adults because it's never too late to start playing, but I like to help kids especially because they need more regular training if they intend to move to the next level,” he said.
Amidst all of his volunteering, Ding still finds time to play himself and often participates in USTA Leagues.
And for those new to tennis, Ding has a message, “Grab your racquet! Hit the ball on the court, hit the ball into a wall, hit the ball anywhere. Get out there and have fun!
Ray Madronio
Originally from Manila, Philippines, Ray Madronio immigrated to San Jose, CA as a boy and credits tennis for introducing him to his first set of friends in this country.
“As an immigrant, I didn't know anything about any of the typical American sports like baseball and football, but tennis was more approachable. I connected with my first friends in middle school over tennis,” Madronio said. “We used to play until the sun went down, and now we're the closest of friends due to all that time we spent with each other. I really feel that I owe a lot to the sport of tennis.”
These days Madronio is very active in the Northern California tennis community. He captains USTA NorCal teams, including the 4.5 men's competitive tennis team for his local Almaden Valley Athletic Club and he also sits on the AVAC Tennis Policy Committee to help shape how their tennis ecosystem operates at the club.
Wanting to give back to the sport that gave him so much, signing up to become a Tennis Champion in his local community was a no-brainer for Madronio.
Madronio has leveraged his involvement at his club and in the community to help complete his challenges throughout his Tennis Champion journey, including recruiting players for USTA NorCal teams and sharing flyers to promote tennis at his club, his daughter’s school, and with his coworkers.
And while he has enjoyed all of the challenges to inspire more people to join the sport, his favorite challenge was proudly wearing the Tennis Champion t-shirt and posting it to social media to further build on his personal brand and love with tennis for everyone online.
And not only does he still hit the courts with his childhood friends, but he has introduced the sport to his daughter so they can share in it together and even provide her a great outlet for fun like it has given him.
“Tennis is such a great sport to get exercise and connect with others that I was ready to become a Tennis Champion and am excited to help promote the sport,” Madronio shared. “I love tennis and hope others can find the joy with it and reap the benefits from it as well.”
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