Q&A with Edward Melfort, NorCal Tournament Director

In honor of Black History Month, we are highlighting members of our community and sharing their unique perspectives on the importance of recognizing Black History Month, diversity in tennis, and sharing their personal tennis stories.

Meet Ed Melfort. He started playing tennis his freshman year in high school in Oakland, Calif. after seeing tennis balls lying around while he was playing baseball with friends. He became intrigued and started playing and was coached by local legend Mark Manning who ran free tennis classes for youth. Fast forward years later, and not only did Melfort become an avid tennis player himself, but he has been a tournament director in NorCal for about 15 years. Melfort is a tennis pro in Manteca where his primary focus is on youth. He’s been recognized for organizing events in the local area and is an avid proponent of the sport. 

A: Being a tournament, you automatically have to be a leader to get things done. I am fortunate to have a team of people that helps me including Robert Lopez, who acts as my right-hand man, and my referee John Corvana, and I couldn’t do what I do without my whole team. Growing up, my coach, Mark Manning, was a tournament director and that inspired me to become one too. As a leader, I also think volunteering is important. I grew up volunteering at tournaments and that is now something I have my kids that I work with do too. We don’t charge students to play in our program but we ask them to volunteer so they can give back and help move tennis forward.

Q: Why do you think it is important to have a diverse representation within the tournament director community?

A: Diversity is a must. Tennis has changed a lot in NorCal. When I was kid, you hardly saw any minorities playing but it is now much more diverse and the game is growing and you see more minorities playing and being tournament directors, which is important because it continues to expose more people to the sport.  

Q: Why is it important to celebrate Black History Month in general, as well as in tennis?

A: It’s very important because it enables you to see the pioneers of the sport. Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson, MaliVai Washington, Venus and Serena Williams are just a few to name. There are so many Black players that people don’t even know about and I got to see some of these players and even some that aren’t as well known. Growing up, it is cool to see players who look like you and it is inspiring. I think it's important for future generations to see this and to see players who look like them play at high levels of tennis. 

Q: In your opinion, how can we better bring together people of different identities and cultures through tennis?

A:  I love how diverse NorCal is. We can see minorities in so many areas and cities. We must use this to our advantage and continue reaching out whether it is through NJTLs or other tennis opportunities. In Manteca, we start at the bottom hosting green ball events for youth and we constantly strive to do the best to our abilities and get more people exposed to the sport.

Q: What do you enjoy most about being a tournament director? 

A: I enjoy seeing my kids play tournaments and seeing their results, especially for the local kids who wouldn’t normally play tournaments or travel. I love when they get to see high-level tennis first-hand and our students are not only able to play in these tournaments, but also do well and win. That is so rewarding and I enjoy seeing local kids compete with other kids across the Bay Area.

Q: Do you have a favorite moment that stands out during your career thus far?

A: I have several. One is me winning the open athletics league as a senior in high school. Another is winning a section title in 2019 for my girl's high school team in Manteca. We had never won before and that was a D4. I also earned section coach for the year too in 2019 and 2020. Lastly, going to the US Open in 2021 through USTA NorCal based on high marks for being a good tournament director was so rewarding and a good testament to our work.