A tennis racquet, a mentor and a new purpose

A few years later, I moved to the U.S. and joined my high school tennis team. It was after being part of the soccer team where I didn't find my best self. Growing up on the Joliet High School tennis team I did. Not only did it give me a team, but I also learned English faster with my teammates and friends I made along the way. Coach Gillman for sure made an impact on me. That got me interested in coaching high school tennis. I can give back what Coach gave to us.

I am forever thankful to many people I came across playing tennis, in high school, in college, but mostly to a guy who would sit at the community tennis park, Garnsey Park in Joliet, Ill., and made me part of the “Garnsey Goons.”

He gave his time to anyone who came to play tennis at the park. I became a regular and popped in the park whenever I could join him and get free lessons. He was a great tennis player and a great mentor. Terry Wrona was his name, and I am sure he's proud of the tennis giveback I'm trying to push and am committed to, in honor of his role in the many lives he touched.

In the last few years, I picked up YouTube videos as coaching tools and they gave me the knowledge I am using now on court. I became a tennis coach for my friends and after a couple of videos posted on social media, my tennis journey started shaping up. I am thankful to the friends that pushed me to create a page for my quest, and to the friends that believed in my skills to teach them how to play.

I have found a passion for tennis in the last six years, the first two finding players on local Facebook pages to practice with, and the last four sharing my skills and knowledge with neighbors, friends and friends of friends.

Tennis has impacted my lifestyle for the best, finding a routine of practice and discipline on and off the court. It helped me to get in better shape and to watch what I put in my body to not affect me the next day during a match or practice. It teaches me how much rest is needed, but also how well we have to prepare for just about anything we do in our days. It even brought my prediabetes back to normal to disregard any concerns about carrying on the disease that affects many people in the Hispanic population and in my family line.

Tennis is giving me a true Plan B in life, allowing me to find a living doing what I love the most. I couldn't believe it was possible before, but I am now, and I sure am enjoying every minute of it.

On my off time, I enjoy traveling with a tennis racquet and cooking or trying to cook meals that can help me recover and respond better for the next day on the tennis court. Again, the sport promotes a better lifestyle for anyone.

I hope I can show everything tennis has shown me in the last few years to other people, but in an early stage of their life, so it can bring a bigger impact in their lives and their families. It has opened a lot of doors for me and taken me places I never thought I would be able to visit in the front row, and with people I never thought I would meet. In the end, I hope I can help someone else find their passion, even if it isn’t tennis.

I plan and I am committed to starting tennis clinics on the South and West sides of Chicago, in places where tennis is not a common sport and especially where tennis courts are not being used due to lack of guidance.

You see, growing up in not-wealthy social classes, we hear that tennis isn't for us, but here in the U.S., it's another story. We have access to many tennis courts, and despite the big growth of tennis in Chicago, we still have room to grow the sport more in the Hispanic and Black communities, and that's where I fit in the most. Tennis is for all, and I know Terry would approve.