Cherokee Nation's Kent Williams honors heritage through NAITA tennis

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, which takes place each November, USTA Heart of America is highlighting Kent Williams, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation.

Williams, who is from Overland Park, Kansas, is an active tennis player who participates in USTA Leagues and tournaments. He also competes in North American Indian Tennis Association tournaments as well, including the 2025 NAITA National Championships that took place in May in Oklahoma City.

Williams first picked up a racquet over 39 years ago at Philcrest Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And barring injuries, he’s been playing consistently ever since. He credited his wife, Shari, for getting him started in tennis.

“My wife was playing in a USTA women’s league and encouraged me to play, so it really is her fault,” he mused.

His son, Parker, still plays at Philcrest Hills and is also a participant in the NAITA Championships. Williams proudly shared that Parker has won a championship trophy each year he’s played in the NAITA Championships in both singles and doubles.

Williams and his wife relocated to Overland Park and now call the local Genesis club their home court. He plays in a 55 & Over men’s league with doubles partner Steve Henry, with whom he has also played in several NAITA tournaments over the years.

“Steve and I have played together in men’s doubles for many years on many different teams and have enjoyed much success over the years,” Williams said. “I look forward to us coming back in 2026 to reclaim the NAITA Championship.”

Henry is a member of the Osage Nation and has played alongside Williams in three of the past four NAITA tournaments in the senior doubles events. They’ve won two of the three and were runners-up in the other.

“The first year we won the championship we beat the Maytubby brothers, who were the reigning champs until we beat them,” Williams said. “The second year, we met the Maytubby brothers again in the final, and they beat us in a super tiebreaker. The third year we also met them in the final and beat them for the championship.”

Williams hopes to see the state of Kansas host the NAITA Championships one day, but he will continue to travel and participate wherever the tournament is hosted. He gave credit to organizer Tony Mullican for promoting the event within indigenous communities across the U.S.