Reyes-Teach brings passion for Junior Team Tennis to coordinator role

In the “lonely” game of tennis, there’s great value in being part of a team.

That’s the perspective Roselyn D. Reyes-Teach brings to her new role as Junior Team Tennis coordinator for USTA St. Louis.

A relative newcomer to the sport, Reyes-Teach first picked up a racquet to help her “bonus-daughter,” Peyton, adjust to a new neighborhood. What began as a way to connect quickly grew into a passion—not just for the game itself, but for the community it builds.

“I want the kids to understand that even if you don’t play your best on a given day, you still have teammates to lean on,” Reyes-Teach said. “Maybe you lost your singles match, but at the end of the day, you are part of a team. Together, you might win two courts and lose two. And the next week, it might be you who wins the deciding match to clinch it for your team.”

When her family moved to a neighborhood between Vetta Sunset and Vetta Concord, Peyton was worried about making friends as a new sixth grader. Reyes-Teach started looking at Lindbergh summer camps, where tennis was one of the activities.

“We didn’t know anything about tennis, so I signed us up for a session with a pro at Vetta Concord,” Reyes-Teach said. “We both loved it. Before we knew it, we were playing all the time. We probably didn’t know what we were doing, but we were having fun, giving it our best and learning along the way. Eventually, Peyton was invited to join the Vetta junior team.”

That invitation meant even more time at the courts for Reyes-Teach. Soon, she was playing in USTA Leagues all over the area, and this past summer, she found herself captaining seven different teams.

Now in eighth grade, Peyton is looking forward to competing for her high school team. Reyes-Teach, a self-described competitive 3.0-level player in her 40s, is equally motivated to keep improving.

“When I’m on the court, I want to challenge myself at whatever level I’m playing,” she said.

But much of her focus these days is on helping junior players and continuing to grow USTA St. Louis’ popular Junior Team Tennis programming. Individuals interested in JTT can contact Reyes-Teach at jtt@ustastl.com.