Missouri Valley / Missouri

For 50+ years, Huong Doan has answered the tennis call as a captain, official and volunteer

David Smale | July 08, 2026

Huong Doan has participated in tennis for more than 50 years. She shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Doan, the 2025 USTA Missouri award winner for Outstanding Contributor to the USTA League Tennis Program, has done just about everything in the sport, including playing, captaining, teaching and officiating. Her attitude has always been “I’ll do whatever is needed.”

Doan was born in Vietnam. She and her family immigrated to the United States in the fall of 1975 to escape the unrest caused by the fall of Saigon.

Her family settled in Springfield, Mo. Her older siblings started playing tennis. Doan, age 9 at the time, followed them to the tennis courts and fell in love with the sport.

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“I wanted to enjoy the sport like my siblings did,” she said. “I found great joy in the sport, and it began a lifelong pursuit.”

She felt very comfortable in the small-town environment of Springfield, especially compared to life in Saigon. But she also recognized that with the smaller population base there would be plenty of opportunities.

“Springfield is a small community,” she said. “There weren’t a lot of people playing tennis at the time. So, I had plenty of chances to get involved.”

A Lifetime Leader

Doan frequently stepped up as a USTA Missouri league captain because there was no one else to do it. But it’s not like anyone had to convince her. She has captained two different teams to the USTA League National Championships.

“I love getting other people involved,” she said. “Tennis is such a great sport and a great way to meet people you might not otherwise meet. By being a captain, I could bring people together and help them figure out that they’re more similar than different.”

Doan’s fingerprints are everywhere in USTA Missouri tennis. She has served as an official, as a member of the USTA Missouri Valley Awards Committee and as a district league coordinator. She’s chaired the USTA Missouri Valley Grievance Committee and served on both the Rules and Regulations Committee and Nominating Committee.

She said her dedication to the task at hand comes from her upbringing, specifically within her family.

Huong Doan has made a big impact on tennis within USTA Missouri as a league player and captain.

Huong Doan (right) and her doubles partner, Debbie Pell, both won USTA Missouri awards in 2022.

Huong Doan has served as a league captain, official, volunteer and committee member during her 50-plus years of tennis involvement.

Huong Doan played tennis while in high school and was first drawn to the sport at the age of 9.

Huong Doan has made a big impact on tennis within USTA Missouri as a league player and captain.
Huong Doan (right) and her doubles partner, Debbie Pell, both won USTA Missouri awards in 2022.
Huong Doan has served as a league captain, official, volunteer and committee member during her 50-plus years of tennis involvement.
Huong Doan played tennis while in high school and was first drawn to the sport at the age of 9.

“I have had to work hard and fight for everything,” she said in a USTA Missouri Valley story in 2021. “My family is that way. We all fought hard for everything. Our culture when we were growing up was a little bit different than here in America. We don’t take things for granted. We take everything as a challenge. Anyone can get through a challenge if you work hard at it.

“When we were still in school, when one of us got a 98% on a paper or homework, we would say to each other, ‘So, what happened to your other 2%?’ We helped each other to become a better person. We inspire each other to do just a little bit better. We never do anything halfway. If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. I heard that a lot growing up. This still holds true now as we are older.”

Competitive Spirit

The competitiveness that was fostered growing up brings up an interesting question: If given the choice, would she rather beat a friend in tennis or someone she didn’t know?

Her answer — quick and decisive — might surprise you.

“We are all competitive,” she said. “It’s hard, but it’s more fun to beat one of my best friends. It’s nothing personal, but once we step on the court, we are all competitors. Then we will celebrate together off the court.”

Doan has inspired people in the USTA Missouri community to be a little bit better for quite a while now, whether as a casual player, a captain or one of her other roles.

“Springfield is very small. We only have a small number of players,” Doan said. “If nobody stepped up to be a captain, there wouldn’t be any teams. I love playing. I love my teams. I don’t think I would be a captain without the players I have on my team. We are good friends on and off the court.

“Sometimes it’s hard just finding a way to convince people, ‘Hey, play USTA instead of just playing.’ I have to think of a way to promote that. It’s an introduction to people who have never heard of USTA. I give them a chance to make it more interesting.”

Submit a nomination for the 2026 USTA Missouri Awards by clicking here. Learn more about playing in USTA Missouri leagues and becoming an official.

Huong Doan has played on and captained numerous USTA Missouri league teams during her lengthy tennis career.

Huong Doan's USTA Missouri team advanced to nationals for the first time in 2012.

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