Who's on Court?

On courts in the U.S. and overseas, I’ve felt joy and still feel it. There’s still the same satisfaction of a clean, well-placed hit. But it’s never the score that matters. It’s the poetry and carrying on with something of absolute beauty.

As a journalist, I’ve witnessed intense heartbreak and wonderful acts of humanity, I somehow survived five wars and struggled to be empathic and hopeful in moments of soul-scarring tragedies.

But when I’m on the court, and I’ve been on a lot of tennis courts lately, it’s a warm, sunny day with a frequent breeze no matter how the weather really is. I’m eying the person on the other side of the net and besides sharing the moment, I’m at ease.

That’s how tennis nourishes me. I’m alive and moving and there’s a second serve I really have to do better with, although lately I’m almost there.

I don’t fret about the mistakes. I celebrate the good moves, the partners I cajole into playing with me, and a deep breath at the end of the game, along with the reassuring feeling that today was a very good day on the courts. It’s always that way."

When the weather is colder, it’s harder to play often, but I find myself more motivated to engage in other types of physical activity to stay in shape for tennis. Getting back into tennis has absolutely changed my life for the better.

Outside of tennis, I enjoy playing games with friends, riding my bike around the city, traveling and spending time with my wife and dog. I work for Northwestern Medicine in Property Accounting, but I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre from Butler University. I am currently returning to school to pursue a post-baccalaureate certificate in accounting from Northwestern University."

From that first session, I felt something shift. There was laughter, encouragement and a sense of community that was contagious. The coach was patient, the players were supportive, and even in our clumsy attempts to rally, we had fun. It wasn’t about being perfect — it was about showing up, learning and enjoying the moment.

As my love for the game grew, so did my desire to share it. As a youth development leader, I saw the potential tennis had to impact lives, just like it had impacted mine. That’s when I partnered with USTA Chicago to bring tennis into neighborhoods that often lacked access. Introducing kids on Chicago’s West Side to the game brought so much joy — it was more than a sport; it was a tool for confidence, connection and fun.

In 2023, I took a leap and founded Youth Priority Consulting LLC, where I now serve as CEO. My mission is to connect leaders, spark change and amplify impact through coaching, training and innovative experiences. Whether it’s leading a workshop, mentoring young professionals or organizing community programming, everything I do comes back to one core value: purpose driven by passion.

Tennis didn’t just inspire my career — it jump-started my health journey. That same year, I reconnected with the USTA and discovered Cardio Tennis through USTA Chicago classes in city parks. And let me tell you — this was my jam. It was everything I loved in one space: music, movement, community and energy. No pressure and no judgment — just a high-vibe, full-body workout. I was having so much fun, I didn’t even realize I was getting stronger, more active and making better choices in how I fueled my body.

That energy led to an exciting next step: becoming a Cardio Tennis instructor in Chicago. I love the blend of agility, rhythm, choreography and group fitness — it’s like dance meets sport, with a healthy dose of joy and sweat.

Outside of tennis, I’m a dance floor regular, karaoke queen — don’t challenge me to “Proud Mary” unless you’re ready — and proud auntie. I find joy in traveling, learning new moves and celebrating arts and culture. Through it all, my faith keeps me grounded. It fuels my hope, my passion and my belief in a future full of purpose.

Tennis has given me more than just a backhand — it’s given me community, confidence and a way to connect my heart with my hustle. And to me, that’s what it’s all about."

My tennis journey started in my early teens. Despite a relatively successful high school tennis career, competition often left me stressed rather than fulfilled. My perfectionist mindset overshadowed the joy of playing, leading me to put tennis aside after graduation.

After high school, life moved forward quickly: I earned an engineering degree from the University of Illinois, launched my career and built a family with my wife, Gina. In 2017, our journey took us to London, where I found myself leading a U.K.-based team, navigating a new culture, and often feeling like a fish out of water. Watching “Ted Lasso” on Friday nights felt oddly therapeutic.

While living in Wimbledon Village, about 45 minutes outside of central London, I joined a local flex tennis league to get some exercise and make connections outside of work. Stepping onto the court felt surprisingly familiar. The court dimensions, scoring and even pre-match rituals were all the same as back home in the United States. But now, the competition felt completely different. Facing evenly matched opponents, I discovered the thrill of competing. The tension, elation, disappointment and joy packed into a two-hour match provided a welcome escape from the daily pressures of running a company and raising five kids.

Upon returning to Chicago in 2020, I signed up to play in a local Gladiator Tennis flex league and immediately felt that same rush of fair, flexible and stress-free competition. I believe a truly great match offers a miniature lifetime of emotions: joy, pain, triumph, sadness and laughter. Inspired to help others experience this magic on the court, I joined Gladiator as CEO in October 2024.

Our team is now building a platform dedicated to precision matchmaking, connecting players with opponents at their exact skill level and in their own neighborhoods. Leveraging decades of experience building innovative software, we are helping transform tennis into an experience that’s competitive, fair and deeply rewarding for all skill levels. We’re proud to collaborate with USTA on our shared mission to increase the number of Americans playing tennis to 35 million by 2035, enriching their connection to each other and to one of life’s most beautiful sports."

I played intramural tennis at Ohio University while studying broadcast journalism and was part of a team in Alabama that won the Huntsville Athletic Club Media Tournament for Progress Place back in 1986. I was working as a disc jockey, as well as a high school football and basketball play-by-play announcer at the time.

I eventually moved back to Chicago and spent the better part of the 1990s in construction as a tuckpointer, hanging off the side of high-rise buildings in the downtown Loop doing masonry restoration, working up to 70 stories high. It's unfortunate my broadcasting career never reached such heights.

The new millennium brought on another career change. I was in training as an air traffic controller in Oklahoma City when 9/11 happened. I spent the first half of my ATC career at Willard Airport in Champaign and participated in summer tennis leagues in the Mid-South Illinois District, actually winning a local league team championship in 2011. 

For me, tennis has always been as much of a mental challenge as a physical one. Inner Tennis: Playing the Game by Timothy Gallwey was a must-read early on. I constantly struggled with simply focusing on the point at hand, not replaying the previous point in my head, or thinking games were over when up 40-love or 40-15. Overcoming these types of mind games has served me well as an air traffic controller, where you must be laser-focused on the task at hand, blocking out all distractions while ensuring you have a plan B in case plan A doesn’t work out.

I have always been an avid runner, completing three half marathons, but to me, nothing beats the cardio workout delivered on the tennis court, and I am very excited about the growth of Cardio Tennis and the interest it is creating in the game. I love the fact there are community courts all around and all one needs is a racquet, a can of balls and a willing partner in order to get some fresh air, smack the ball around and get in a good workout, all at the same time.

I also love the fact one can play tennis well into their senior years. But the beauty is the game can help you stay active with its obvious physical and mental benefits. And when the singles court gets too hard to cover, one can pivot to playing doubles while expanding their social circle.

Physical fitness has always been important to me because I want to extend my quality of life for as long as possible. It was only a couple of years ago I learned of the gold ball trophy the USTA awards throughout the year. Given my modest court skills, I figure the best chance for me to actually win one would be to outlive my competition. I am nothing if not patient. I can wait until 2051 when I hopefully turn 90 years young. By then, I shouldn't have to outhit my competition, just outlast them. Until then, live long and prosper."

I also was not an avid watcher of tennis. Of course, I followed distantly the rise of tennis superstars in my youth, but only really from the papers and Sports Illustrated.

The years passed until I caught the tennis bug. A friend I had come to know was a former college tennis player and an avid fan. His passion for the sport, both as a player and a spectator, was infectious. He and I started a tradition that we call, “the search for the perfect US Open trip.” The two of us, along with our younger brothers, started a tradition of going to the US Open together. Each year, we would try out different things, attending various stages of the tournament (opening day, the quarterfinals, the finals); staying in different parts of New York, such as Manhattan or Brooklyn; choosing between day sessions, night sessions or both; and finding the perfect spots for a pre-US Open brunch or post-match dinner. Along the way, we kept a list of the best spots, some of which we have visited every time since our first US Open trip together in 2014. We also established a list of rules that govern the traditions of this now more than a decade-old trip!

I quickly moved from attending the US Open to being a devoted fan and avid tennis player. I joined a tennis club here in Chicago in 2018 and started taking lessons. I got to know others and joined different groups to play at set times each week, and while the COVID-19 pandemic was bad for so many reasons, it was great for my tennis game. Tennis was quickly considered an activity that we could do safely. While I was still very busy with work during that time, I had more flexibility during the pandemic. My normal slate of three to five early morning breakfasts or evening dinner meetings/events allowed for time on the courts. Surprising to many, most of all me, my game improved. I even joined a team, and we won first place in Illinois for our age group and earned a spot in a multi-state championship!

Tennis is exercise, therapy, camaraderie and simply good old-fashioned fun! I count my lucky stars that either I found tennis or it found me. It was also a lesson for me that no matter your stage in life, you can still find new passions, develop new skills and achieve in new endeavors. I work for Big Shoulders Fund, a nonprofit organization that helps ensure talented, hardworking students from under-resourced communities in Chicagoland and Gary, Ind., have access to a quality, values-based education that prepares them for college and career. Across our network of 92 elementary and high schools, we serve nearly 25,000 children, 70 percent from low-income households. In their classrooms and in the programs we provide for them, they are encouraged to reach for new heights, to explore their passions and to succeed. They also inspire all of us with their accomplishments and provide us with enormous hope for the future.  Sometimes when I am on the court, frustrated by my playing level or not finding the will to dig a little deeper, I think of the students in our schools. They inspire me to dig deeper and to push further. I am nowhere as good as them, but it is good to have such a high bar!

Just like the tennis stars who express their gratitude during post-match, on-court speeches, I want to extend mine as well. To the USTA for all it does to promote the sport and create space for people of all backgrounds to participate. To my tennis friends and coaches, especially Jake, for the many hours we spend on court together, pushing each other and having a blast. To my friend Farhan, who started and keeps alive our US Open tradition that inspired my tennis obsession. To my dad, who first put a racquet in my hand and encouraged me to pursue this lifelong sport. And, most importantly, to my wife, Virginia, and my sons, Charlie and Tommy, who, aside from teasing me about my tennis obsession, always indulge me in fun and competitive matches, support my love for the game and let me sneak away from family time for my therapy sessions on the court."

We loved the resort and planned to return that spring. Determined to join the fun, I signed up for park district classes before the trip. It only took one class and I was hooked. So began my love affair with tennis.

In that first class, I met women who became lifelong friends. We called ourselves “The Fab Four” and even embroidered it on matching visors. Since then, I've built a wide network of tennis pals. The camaraderie, humor and lighthearted competition with like-minded players is a true joy. Over the years, I’ve captained USTA League teams, run house leagues and organized countless pickup matches.

Howard and I continue to vacation at tennis resorts across the country. A highlight of a recent European trip was touring Wimbledon. When our daughter enrolled at NYU, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about New York until I realized the US Open started the day after move-in. It’s now my happy place. We go nearly every year, arriving early and staying until the final match. In 2023, we scored front-row seats to Ben Shelton’s first-round match. Our loud cheering landed us on the jumbotron multiple times.

As Skokie, Illinois’ director of marketing and communications for 25 years, I was always looking for ways to boost economic vitality. In 2015, after a local real estate professional mentioned the need for adult sports leagues, Howard and I helped launch the Skokie Tennis Association (STA) with fellow tennis friends. Now an affiliate of the Skokie Park District, the mixed-doubles league draws about 35 teams each summer. The league emphasizes good sportsmanship, keeps dues low with fees ranging from $40 to $50 for the entire season and is designed to be inclusive and welcoming. I’m proud that STA was named USTA Chicago’s Organization of the Year in 2022 and earned the USTA Midwest Member Organization Award in 2023.

I was recently elected mayor of Skokie, and some of my tennis pals stepped up to leadership positions in the hard-fought campaign. I included the STA in my platform as an example of grassroots leadership, fulfilling a local need while supporting the economy through post-match outings to Skokie restaurants and breweries.

Now, even amid the demands of the office, I make time to play, as I believe I’ll serve Skokie best by staying connected to the things I love. On weekends, I often show up to community events in tennis gear, fresh off the court, sparking conversations with kids and families about the sport.

Being a woman mayor who serves with purpose, stays active and champions community building and economic vitality through tennis is more than a passion. It is part of the legacy I hope to leave."

My introduction to tennis was through USTA junior programming at the Chicago Park District’s Jesse Owens Park. Some players were beginners, and some had played in clubs before, but together we were a team. Through this play, I became more skilled at playing and winning with others. This game has taught me that individual and team play are essential to the sport and life.

Since joining that summer programming over 30 years ago, I have kept with tennis and picked up other sports along the way. I have run nine marathons, 31 half marathons and many races. I participate in a variety of physical activities, including boxing, pilates, yoga, indoor cycling and strength training. The sport of tennis has given me the discipline and tenacity to keep up with physical, social and mental activity. 

More importantly, playing this team sport has also shaped the way I contribute professionally. In my career roles in communications and operations, similarities to tennis are ever-present. In my work as director of programs for Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, I am responsible for managing programs to boost vitality and commerce on Chicago’s mid-South Side. I can work individually with ideas to execute, but the greatest joy comes from community partnership. Community work mirrors tennis because you can do it alone or with a partner, and each offers a different and rewarding experience.

Tennis might always be debated as an individual or team sport, but there is no debate that it has made me a team player in life."