Love of Tennis Comes Full Circle

Since sports were a huge part of my life up until that point, I was left wondering what else I could play where I could still enjoy competition and feel that camaraderie. And since my parents were both still playing in USTA Leagues—at this point in their 40s and 50s—I saw first-hand how tennis was a sport where you could be competitive, make friends, and still play for a lifetime. I asked my parents if I could take some lessons, and they were all for it. I started shortly thereafter, and quickly found that tennis was the sport for me and what I’d been looking for all along.

During drills and in-house leagues at our local racquet club, I was able to meet new friends who went to different schools; there was that camaraderie I was looking for. And after a few months of regular playing, I signed up for the USTA and played in my first junior tournament—yep, there’s the competition. That tournament was the first of many I’d play in USTA Intermountain as a junior. I would also go on to try out for and make the varsity tennis team as #1 singles my sophomore year of high school—a position I’d hold until I graduated. It was an honor, and my teammates were truly amazing people, and I’m still close with some of them today.

After high school, I attended the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, where I tried out for its tennis team. I made it as a walk-on, though as a freshman I didn’t see playing time and the team was disbanded shortly thereafter. It was a bummer, but I still made it a point to play in USTA tournaments throughout college, my favorite of which were the father-daughter tournaments I played in with my dad. I’ll hold onto those memories forever.

After moving from Colorado to Florida and then to Missouri, where I now live, I bounced around and played in some recreational leagues, but I haven’t been playing USTA-sanctioned tennis for a while. I miss it—a lot—and I hope to get back into “fighting” shape so I can hit the courts with some of you soon.

Outside of tennis, I work as a freelance copywriter and editor. I also love spending time with my family, friends, and my two sweet rescue dogs, Buddy and Benny. I enjoy going to concerts, painting, going on road trips, watching terrible comedies and Netflix shows, and spending time outdoors whenever possible.

I’m beyond grateful to have this opportunity to work for the USTA Missouri Valley writing about tennis, and I hope you can feel my love of the game in every story I write. My tennis journey truly has come full circle, and I couldn’t be happier to be here with you all!