A South Carolina high schooler gave tennis everything... and got it all back

Noah Smith-Galloway has given a lot to tennis, first committing himself to the sport in sixth grade and ultimately becoming a captain on the Dutch Fork High School varsity team in Irmo, S.C. Now a senior, Smith-Galloway has also raised his game off the court as a trusted volunteer with USTA South Carolina.

For everything he's poured into the sport, tennis has given back just as much.

With USTA South Carolina, Smith-Galloway has supervised activations at the WTA's Credit One Charleston Open, promoted the sport at Columbia Fireflies minor league baseball games (alongside his mother, who dressed up in a Snoopy costume complete with a tennis racquet), and instructed youth at tennis camps.

Through his work promoting the sport in his local community, Smith-Galloway built a tight-knit tennis community of his own.

“I love being able to help out the community while also just being around tennis," he told USTA.com. "Being able to promote the sport and talk to people about tennis, it really built a community for me that I dearly appreciate so much.

“Tennis has brought so many amazing things for me. I've met so many amazing people and I feel like I’ve grown so much through tennis. It’s built me to be who I am today... If I hadn’t played tennis, my life would be completely different."

Smith-Galloway was first introduced to the sport by his grandmother, who has been playing tennis for nearly 50 years. As a young boy, he admired her strokes and watched the pros on TV by her side. But it was in sixth and seventh grade that he began to dedicate himself to the game.

"This is the sport that I really dug into and wanted to really improve on," he explained. "Every other sport was just a sport. I played it for fun; I didn't really think too much of it. But tennis was really something different for me."

High school tennis helped Smith-Galloway enjoy the game from a different perspective with its team atmosphere, camaraderie and sportsmanship. He also enjoyed watching his teammates progress over the years as they grew with the program—even one teammate who leapfrogged him in the lineup.

"I'll admit it was a little frustrating at first," he said with characteristic self-awareness, "but he really improved throughout the years I was playing against him."

That perspective speaks to Noah's values and his drive to help his teammates and his community at large.

"Noah has shown exemplary character on and off the tennis court," said Pamela Banks, USTA South Carolina's Senior Manager, Community Engagement. "Noah is a good student and steward. He is one of our best volunteers at USTA South Carolina."

Smith-Galloway's next stop will be Winthrop University this fall. While the school does not have a varsity tennis team, the rising freshman will take the game with him nonetheless.

"I love the sport," he said. "I already made a promise to myself and to others that I’m always going to keep this sport dear to me and I’m going to continue to play whenever I can."