Meet Your New USTA St. Louis Digital Assistant

Jamie Hansen is excited to join the USTA Missouri Valley team as Digital Assistant covering tennis in St. Louis, combining her love for tennis and journalism.

When Hansen was six years old, her dad and a friend played what she now understands is very sloppy tennis in Fremont, Neb. The sloppiness mattered little —Hansen loved what she saw. She wanted to play, too. For her upcoming birthday, she begged for a tennis racket and was gifted with a wooden racquet from a local department store and a can of balls. She fell in love. Hansen could often be found hitting balls against the wall at the courts in her neighborhood park until the flickering street lights let her know it was time to come home. She dreamed she was playing against Steffi Graf and Monica Seles; but really, she wanted a nasty backhand & return of serve like Andre Agassi. 

For eight years, Hansen continued to play with friends (no formal lessons) until her freshman year of high school, when she joined the Fremont High School Tennis team. In her freshman season, she knocked on the door to the varsity ranks and got even closer to the top six in her sophomore year. Because of the demands of high school softball — the sport which she hoped to play in college — Hansen quit tennis. 

Hansen is back on the courts after a nearly two-decade hiatus. Three years ago, she began taking lessons with USTA St. Louis Hall of Famer, Pat Purcell. Purcell helped her revive her love of the game. Tennis is again a huge part of Hansen’s life, playing in several USTA leagues and World Team Tennis (WTT). Last summer, her 2.5 team qualified to compete at the USTA Missouri Valley Section Championships.

To submit any USTA St. Louis story ideas for Hansen to cover, email communications@movalley.usta.com, and don't hesitate to say hello to her when you see her around at local tennis events!