By Rebecca A. Williams – 2018 HTA/NJTL Intern
In 2016, I was fortunate to have been one of HTA’s scholarship recipients. Tennis is a sport that gives you more than you put into it. It is a sport that many others and I continue to benefit from. They say that it is a sport for a lifetime, and I am thrilled to be a part of the community.
How did I get started? I was in eighth grade and basketball season had ended. During that week I had planned to sign up for softball. However, I met Coach Sylvia from the NJTL at Sunnyside Park. I told her that I was interested in playing tennis and she gave me a waiver form for my mother to fill out. The form was signed that night. Almost immediately, I stopped attending softball practice and started going to the free tennis lessons.
I attempted to play at Homer Ford Tennis Center with Coach Don Johnson and Coach John Wilkerson, but basketball season was very demanding. In lieu of not being able to play, I began volunteering at Sunnyside Park.
Until this day, I still see students that I played tennis with participating in the current Summer Enrichment Program at Sunnyside Park. After I graduated high school in 2016, I gained a summer position as an NJTL instructor.
I enjoy being around children, teaching them tennis and learning from them. This program is free and it is not the norm for underprivileged communities to be heavily involved with this sport. Usually, parents have to come out of pocket for their children to be involved in a concentrated program, but this opportunity can broaden the scope of an entire group of people. Not too many children in my community know that they can receive a tennis scholarship to pay for their college tuition. I think I can help change that by doing to help create awareness.
Ultimately, I want to teach children the game of tennis and all that it can do for them personally. Furthermore, I want to improve my game. For the past four years, it has been a challenge to find a consistent coach. I have to start now if I want to increase my skill level. There are no excuses, I just have to do it.
After I graduate from college, I plan to relocate to another country and start my career in radio, TV, and film. My long-term goal is to become a tennis professional overseas. However, in whatever I do, I want to make a positive impact in the surrounding communities.
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