Changing lives through tennis: Coaches, captains, players making an impact

Meet the coaches and players whose passion for tennis is creating opportunities, building communities and inspiring the next generation during National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

🎾 From Bolivia to Missouri, Pablo Araujo’s journey eventually brought him back to tennis as a coach and 5.0-level player in Columbia, Mo. Araujo also serves as a USTA Missouri board member. Find out how Araujo rediscovered his love for tennis in this story.

🎾 For Lizette Romero Corcoran, tennis is about much more than competition. The Tulsa league captain draws strength from her Hispanic heritage while using tennis to build community, create opportunities and inspire others. Learn more about Corcoran here.

🎾 Tennis wasn’t always Fernando Garcia’s favorite sport, but it ultimately became the force that changed his life. Now, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, coach is using tennis to help change the lives of others. Read more about Garcia here.

🎾 From a playing career in Mexico and at the University of Arkansas to coaching St. Louis juniors, Santiago Munoz has found a new way to give back to the game. At Forest Lake, he’s helping the next generation find success on their terms. Read more here.

🎾 After devastating earthquakes hit his hometown in Venezuela, tennis player Jesus Perez knew he had to help. Alongside fellow Venezuelans in Omaha, he helped collect and send critical supplies back home. Learn more about Perez’s efforts here.

🎾 Frank Reyes has come full circle since first discovering tennis at Riverside Tennis Center in Wichita as a 4-year-old. Now, Reyes leads Riverside while also coaching tennis at Maize South High School, using his passion to create opportunities for young players. Learn more about Reyes here.

🎾 After moving from Guadalajara to the U.S. at age 12, Carlos Salazar discovered tennis and a sense of purpose. The coach is now helping others find their place on the court in Tulsa. Read about Salazar here.

🎾 Diego Schtulmann and Mariana Ochoa Guerra, who are both from Mexico, have made tennis more accessible through their Tennis Puro Espanol classes. The series at Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City is for beginners and is taught completely in Spanish. Learn more about it by viewing this story.