Tennis Ambassador Spotlight: Jennifer Murphy

Through the years and many moves, tennis has become a constant for Jennifer Murphy, Tennis Ambassador from the USTA Ohio Valley District.

Originally from a town just outside of New York City, Murphy picked up the game from a young age through a summer parks and recreation program. The sport soon became a staple in Murphy's life and a steadfast way to make new friends in each new place she settled.

"It [tennis] was a way to meet friends outside of work, moving to new areas," said Murphy. "That was really important when I moved down to Ohio the second time, because I wasn't working and couldn't play soccer anymore.

"So, I just got back into tennis through a social group."

After moving back to the Columbus area and participating in that social group, Murphy was invited by a friend to try a clinic at The Players Club, which would become her home club. As Murphy says, you take one clinic and then you're hooked.

Murphy became involved with many different leagues from that point on and became a familiar face of her tennis community.

So, it was truly a happy coincidence that this dedicated player became a Tennis Ambassador in the first place. Murphy stumbled across the Tennis Ambassador site while looking for something completely different but was immediately intrigued by the idea of promoting tennis in her area, something she was already doing.

When she saw that there were no other Ambassadors from the Columbus area, she knew that she could take her passion for the game and help other players find theirs.

As an Ambassador, Murphy has found creative ways to interact with both her fellow club members and players outside of the club to spread the love of the game. She is most proud of the connections she has made through the years and the number of new players she has invited to try the game on a new level.

Murphy is also excited to be part of a sport that can last a lifetime and spread the positivity.

"It's something that you can learn at any age, and you can play until any age," said Murphy.

Even for Murphy, tennis has demonstrated what she is capable of, such as learning singles as a classically trained doubles player. Just this year, Murphy put her skills to the test and qualified for the national round of the Fast Four tournament in singles in Chicago, something she never would have thought possible.

This experience has reinvigorated Murphy in her role as a Tennis Ambassador to continue encouraging those around her that anything is possible with the right attitude and love of the game.