Tennis Ambassador Spotlight: Cindy Anderson

As a Tennis Ambassador, a player must possess a love of the game, a welcoming presence and the desire to grow tennis in their local community. No one embodies this quite like Cindy Anderson of Battle Creek, Mich.

Anderson began her tennis obsession late compared to other players she knew as a New Year's resolution. It was something she had always wanted to try as long as she could remember. So, one year, Anderson committed herself to the sport and has been hooked ever since.

Before Anderson became a Tennis Ambassador for her home club of Minges Creek Athletic Club, she was already spreading the benefits of the sport to her fellow club members. As Anderson puts it, tennis is a passion that can last a lifetime.

Anderson became more and more involved in the everyday life of the club and eventually began her own Sunday tennis group with fellow members. Over time the group has transformed from players to family. It is not uncommon now to find the friends sharing a laugh over a potluck dinner or exchanging Christmas presents during the holidays.

Through her continued dedication to the sport, it was not long before Anderson was putting her positive attitude and welcoming personality into the role of Tennis Ambassador.

"My motto in life is if you can go out with a positive attitude, you can turn around someone else's bad day," said Anderson.

Anderson has loved her role and how it allows her to bring new players into the sport. In addition to connecting with others, Anderson has spread her positive message through bracelets that she distributes throughout the community. On each bracelet is the inscribed message: "Good sportsmanship and Positive Attitude". For Anderson, they serve as a constant reminder that tennis is the perfect way to become a well-rounded individual.

The most rewarding part of Anderson's duties as a Tennis Ambassador comes in the form of watching people fall in love with the sport just as she did 25 years ago.  Anderson recalls one such instance where she noticed a family watching her Sunday group and invited them to try out her racquets. The entire family is now into the sport and loving it.

No matter what life throws at Anderson, she knows that she will always have tennis on which to rely. From the moment she started her journey, she knew it was going to become something special and a vehicle with which to share her positive outlook on life with those around her.

"I think there is a lot of negativity in our world right now and a lot of bad attitudes, and it's all because there is not enough love in the world," said Anderson. "Love is also part of tennis, so if you can smile and have fun, and smile even when you have love [zero] in tennis, that can project out into the world."