In their own words: Jairus McNealy on becoming a tennis dad

In celebration of Father's Day, we reached out to parents who love the game of tennis and the life lessons it teaches. Read their first-person stories to learn how tennis can shape individuals' lives and careers and how it can positively impact the newest generations. Meet Jairus McNealy of Dayton, Ohio.

Growing up, I never imagined I would be a tennis dad. My dad played recreational tennis at Palmer Park in Detroit, Mich. when I was younger. Although I never picked up a racquet myself back then, I was around the sport just enough for a seed to be planted. I played basketball my whole life. I loved the team aspect, and of course, it was easy to find an open court at the neighborhood playgrounds in Detroit. Tennis looked complicated and slow compared to basketball, and I never imagined it would be a sport I have come to love! 

Fast forward to 2017, when my daughters were four and six. We had a neighborhood friend we saw at a YMCA swimming class, and she was starting her daughter in a tennis camp as something to do for the summer. My wife inquired, but you had to be five years old, and she wanted both girls to try something together. We waited until the following year, but I wasn’t totally on board because the girls were not finished with their homeschool semester. After some negotiating, we spent $40 on each girl for Todd Tennis camp in Middletown, Ohio. It was a good introduction to the sport. 

We started with used racquets and tennis balls from a local sports resale store and a bucket from Home Depot to keep the balls in. I took them to a local court just to get a feel for the ball before the camp started. I must have watched 20 YouTube videos on how to start playing tennis! 

From that very first day at Todd Tennis camp, something clicked for my daughters. My youngest daughter won a medal at the camp’s skills competition, sparking a dream in both. Suddenly, tennis wasn’t just something to try. It became something they wanted to pursue. They started asking to play more, watch more and understand the sport beyond just the basics.