Three juniors are awarded Southern Tennis Foundation scholarships, receive high-level coaching in Europe
The Southern Tennis Foundation (STF), through the Kimche Memorial Scholarship, provided funding for two female USTA Southern junior players to attend a three-week Atlas Tennis trip in Europe. A junior boy received support through the STF’s Doris Ann Hutchinson Scholarship. The awards cover the full cost of the trip and are valued at more than $11,000.
Zoriana Haberer, Oskar Lucas and Bella Woods were selected to travel to Spain, the Netherlands and Switzerland in June and July to train, compete and experience new cultures. Daryl Kimche donated funds for Haberer's and Woods' trips.
Zoriana Haberer
Haberer often struggles to get consistent court time and quality instruction near her home in metro Atlanta. She’s always wanted an opportunity to expand her game and learn new tactics from others.
Haberer, 16, got that chance internationally this summer.
“It was amazing,” said Haberer, a junior at Paulding County High. “I was nowhere near close to being the best tennis player there, but I definitely learned a good bit, especially the basics of swinging, because I had never been taught the correct motion. I was just like slicing it weird every time I hit the ball. But now I know how to do that correctly, the proper stance, and how to stay balanced.”
Haberer is involved in tennis, cross country and chorus at her high school, where she is working on a capstone project for the Academy of Science and Research through the school’s magnet program and a Biotechnology Independent Research Science project.
During the trip to Europe, Haberer enjoyed learning more about each country and sightseeing when she was not on the court. She found time to paint, including a portrait of some ducks that walked up to her tennis bag in Spain.
“I was really excited to learn some more Spanish in Spain because I've completed Spanish II in high school, and I've done some Duolingo,” Haberer said. “A lot of people spoke English, but it was nice to be in a city where Spanish is spoken fluently.”
Zoriana Haberer
Haberer is grateful to the donors who make the Atlas scholarships possible. She returned to Georgia with an improved tennis game, broader perspective and great memories from her experiences.
“Everybody was really nice at all the tennis courts, especially in the Netherlands,” she said. “After every match there, whoever wins pays for the drinks. For us, that was Coke or water. That was really lovely, because it showcases such good sportsmanship, which isn’t always the case everywhere.”
Oskar Lucas
A week after Lucas returned from a three-week Atlas Tennis trip, he participated in a local tournament near his home in Madison, Miss. His parents were amazed at what they saw.
“It was like a completely different player. His dad’s jaw and mine just kind of dropped,” said Christina Lucas. “He was able to just power through situations that he would not have been able to do before. He was sort of a calmer player, less frustrated, and just had more confidence.”
Oskar Lucas on the right
“Honestly, it was kind of life-changing,” Oskar Lucas, 18, said. “Just to see the scenery and play tennis there–it was just so amazing. You're not able to describe it because it was so awesome.”
Lucas was adopted from Poland at the age of 7 and came to the United States in 2016 to live with his family. Because he learned a new language later in life, he struggled with reading, schoolwork and making friends. He was diagnosed with a nonverbal learning disability, which can make it hard for him to understand things like sarcasm.
Tennis has been a source of comfort for Lucas. The nonverbal cues that often frustrate him don’t exist on the tennis court. The sport helps build his confidence, especially as a member of a team.
“It’s fun because you get to hang out with your friends and practice with them, and also you get to compete with other players,” said Lucas, who was the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools singles champion in 2024 and 2025. “Sometimes the matches last so long, and that's so fun because you're getting a very good experience from it.”
Throughout the Atlas Tennis trip, Lucas was exposed to a high-level of coaching and daily training sessions that went beyond what he usually experiences stateside.
“The coaches taught me many things about tennis and just about life in general,” Lucas said. “Like how to never give up and just always stay consistent and try not to do anything fancy and just stick to one path rather than trying to go on multiple different paths.”
Lucas is involved in the Mississippi Youth Legislature and takes part in theater. During the three-week stay in Europe, he enjoyed sightseeing in each city, visiting a cathedral in Barcelona, and meeting new people.
“As a parent, we trusted this group with our kid–the most important thing that we have–and they had a plan. There was just really good structure,” Christina Lucas said. “I felt like they were safe with good people. It was very well organized and the communication was great. I can’t recommend that group more highly.”
Lucas knows the experience wouldn’t have been possible without the generous donors who give back to tennis through the STF.
“I am very grateful,” he said. “I am very thankful to have had this opportunity to go Europe, play tennis, see the scenery, and eat the very good food that they had in Europe. I really enjoyed this trip.”
Bella Woods
Woods knew she had to apply right away when she heard about a scholarship offered to travel to Europe for three weeks to play tennis and explore.
“It was like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to all these countries and play tennis and be with a group of kids because I haven't traveled alone before,” Woods said. “I thought that since I'm getting older, I need to start broadening my experiences.”
Woods, 15, is a sophomore at Union Grove High School in McDonough, Ga., where she plays tennis and volleyball. She’s been involved in tennis since age 7, but had never experienced the level of training before the trip.
“My tennis has been finicky. But after the trip, it's gotten so much stronger,” Woods said. “The coaches really helped me and found what I needed to really improve most. They asked me if I wanted to play in college so they could coach me. I said, ‘Yes’ and they coached me a bit harder, so I can get better and gain something from the tennis while we're here.”
Outside of tennis, Woods loved learning more about the culture of every city she visited during the trip. She appreciated everyone's hospitality and kindness.
Bella Woods
“Spain was just on a whole other level. The people there are so nice,” Woods said. “They took our group to go watch the World Cup game where all the other locals go. It was just amazing. When they scored, everybody would be cheering and throwing stuff in the air.”
Woods returned to Georgia with an expanded social circle that she formed from her encounters on and off the court.
“I was kind of worried that I wouldn't make friends there because I don't know any of these people. But it was really easy,” she said. “I spoke to one girl in Amsterdam after a doubles tournament for three hours. It was great to get to know her.”
Woods wants to encourage other juniors from USTA Southern to apply for the Atlas Tennis Scholarship once they are old enough because of how much they can learn from the experience.
“I'm so grateful. I feel really blessed that I actually even got the opportunity to just apply for it,” she said. “I never even thought this would happen. It is just so unreal to me.”
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