23-year-old player thrives through adaptive tennis, is true sports leader

"Joey Sorace came to Thrive Through Tennis about four years ago when he decided to give tennis a try. Right away, he showed interest and talent, and he and his family have been part of our Thrive family ever since; Joey as an athlete, his mom, dad and brother as advocates and volunteers.

Sorace is 23 years old and has loved sports for as long as he can remember. He started playing football at 9 years old. In high school, he was manager of the football team and the “hype coach,” and after graduation, he stayed on as an assistant coach. Sorace is a true leader who is passionate about helping others enjoy sports. He works year-round coaching pre-schoolers and kindergarteners in soccer, basketball and baseball.

Together, he and his mom also help at resource fairs, promoting adaptive tennis and other adaptive sports within the community.

Although Sorace loves playing doubles in tennis, he's found he really enjoys playing singles too. He has competed in the USTA Midwest Unified Doubles Showdown, finishing as runner-up for two consecutive years. He has also earned medals for tennis at the Special Olympics.

What stands out most, though, is Sorace’s determination to always give his best and his desire to inspire kids to be leaders, both in sports and in life. He has a natural ability to encourage others and bring out the best in them.

Outside of sports, Sorace and his mom share a love of history; they’ve visited Gettysburg 25 times. He also interns with Kaulig Media, a marketing agency that recruited him after he was featured in a local news segment. 

Sorace represents everything adaptive tennis is all about. He competes hard, supports others and makes the game fun for everyone around him.

Our program at Thrive Through Tennis is better because Joey Sorace is part of it. In his own words, 'Tennis is good for everyone. It makes you smile. There’s a way for everybody to enjoy it, even if they’re not competing.'"