COMMUNITY FEATURES
In collaboration with Natasha Patrick
Philippe Jones
1. How did you begin your tennis journey? At the age of four, I loved going with my dad to Clark High School as he practiced his serve for men’s league. One day, he let me pick up a racket and try swinging at a couple of balls he tossed at me. Sure enough, I was able to hit shots over the net. My dad asked me later if I wanted to start practicing, and I agreed, so I began to train at Whispering Oaks, taking group and private lessons. 2. Who inspired your interest in athletics? Before even playing tennis, my parents always encouraged me to stay active. By the time I was four, I was enrolled in or had tried basketball, soccer, swimming, and tennis. That support from my parents laid a strong foundation for me to become the athlete I am today. 3. As a child, did you have any African American tennis idols? Growing up, I would sit in front of the TV in the living room and watch all sorts of sports, but I loved tennis specifically because of how diverse the backgrounds of the professional players were. One player I especially looked up to as one of my favorites was Francis Tiafoe. His backstory is quite inspirational; he grew up as the son of a janitor for a large tennis center and went on to become a fantastic individual and competitor. His fight on the court and love for the game inspired me to develop my game and become better. 4. What do you enjoy about recreational tennis? Although most of the tennis I play is competitive, when I do play recreational tennis, I see it as a time to get to know a person better and improve myself as a player. The way somebody plays tennis says a lot about them as a person. Also, some of the best conversations I have ever had have been in between hitting sessions or during warmups with my friends and family. 5. Have you been able to cultivate a sense of community among your tennis peers? Some of the best friends I have ever met, I know from tennis. Regardless of where we are in our tennis journey or even if they continued on to pursue other endeavors, I formed a strong bond with them from my time playing against or practicing with them. The tennis community as a whole is greatly supportive. 6. How would you bring more awareness about tennis to underserved Black communities? When I was younger, I always thought about how there were some people like me who, due to their circumstances, might not be able to play tennis. So, I wanted to create an idea to help introduce more young adults and children to the sport I loved so much. With the help of my parents, coaches, and the City Kids Adventures program, I developed a community project called Tennis4All that we have been running since I was in third grade. Our organization collects gently used rackets and tennis shoes. Using these donated items, we hold a clinic with City Kids Adventures for youth who never had the chance to pursue the sport. Bringing awareness to these kids coming from different backgrounds helps create more diversity within the tennis community. 7. Share some ideas to encourage local youth to take an interest in tennis. Practicing with friends who are on your skill level or better than you is one of the best ways to improve your understanding of the game and push yourself. Entering some entry level tournaments to start to try competitive matches is extremely beneficial as well. Watching matches on TV is another way to learn about tennis and is one of the ways I became infatuated with it.
Michelle DaCosta
1. How did you begin your tennis journey? My Dad actual taught me tennis. He started teaching my older brother, and I was so competitive that I wanted to learn at the same time. He was about 18 months older than me so we were about the same size. After that I fell in love with the game, and I started beating my brother and then wanted to play local tournaments 2. Who inspired your interest in athletics? I would say my dad again. He taught me tennis, but we would also watch all type of sports, including track and field and soccer. I started playing soccer around the same time I played tennis. Soccer was a great way to stay in shape and do cross training for my tennis, and it provided me with a team component that I did not get with tennis. I started to run track and field in middle school and continued through high school since the women’s soccer season was the same time as high school tennis. Track and field became my way to cross train and stay in shape for tennis, and I again had teammates, even though my events were mostly solo, besides the relay races 3. As a child, did you have any African American tennis idols? My favorite tennis Player was Zena Garrison. I loved how she was very aggressive and came to the net a lot. I really liked her soft hands and her mobility. I also like Malivai Washington and Blake Shelton, but I feel Zena was probably the highest ranked player. Ironically, I ended up playing tennis at the University of Michigan, the same school that Washington went to and played tennis. I obviously knew about Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson, but they played before I was born and watching tennis, but of course they were great influences for Garrison and Washington. I also enjoyed watching Chanda Rubin and actually got to meet her at Wimbledon about 5 years ago in the press box. 4. What do you enjoy about recreational tennis? I am still very competitive, so I like the competitive nature of tennis, even league USTA tennis. I also like the ability to stay active, get exercise and cardio and try to stay in shape. I have never been a person who likes running, biking, treadmill, etc. so tennis is still a great way to exercise and get a nice workout as well as having some competitive nature attached. I also like meeting new people. I have moved around a lot for my profession, and most of the time the people I spend the most time with in each new city are either my coworkers or my tennis friends. 5. Have you been able to cultivate a sense of community amongst your tennis colleagues? To a degree, yes. It has been nice to be able to play league tennis and actual matches, but I do find it hard to find consistent people to play with during the week. I think most of this is due to my work schedule and the amount of time we are rained out or it’s too cold to play (I grew up with indoor courts haha). But, like I mentioned, when I moved to new city/states for work, I end up spending most of my time with people from work or people who I have met via tennis. 6. How would you bring more awareness about tennis to underserved, black communities? I think the best exposure of tennis to underserved communities is showing more tennis on TV. Just like other sports like football and basketball, the more you can see tennis on TV, the more exposure for the sport. It used to be on a lot of local channels like ABC, NBC, etc. Now a lot of tennis comes on cable (ESPN, Tennis channel, T2) which does limit its exposure. It would be nice if more tournaments, including grand slams would come on local TV. I think also using community funds to try to keep local courts usable in the local neighborhoods. I played most of my tennis on the local high school courts. It was much later in my development that I joined a club and started playing on those type of courts. 7. Share some ideas to encourage local youth to take an interest in tennis. I think we have great players right now who are doing well in tennis. From Coco to Frances they are performing well at the big tournaments and have big endorsement deals so we see them in commercials. I think the more opportunities people have to learn, watch, and play tennis, the more people will have exposure to it. It’s a great sport, an easy way to get exercise, and you do not need a full team to play. You can hit against a wall (I did this a ton in my backyard) or just one other person to get a great game and workout.
John Seymore
1. How did you begin your tennis journey? I am originally from the Chicago area and moved to San Antonio as a racquet ball player. It was difficult to get a court, and my friend said to try some tennis. I found that I really enjoyed the sport and stuck with it. I’ve been playing since 1977. I’ve been a captain and made it to both sectionals and nationals. 2. Who inspired your interest in athletics? My brothers and cousins were all athletic. I was more academically and musically inclined. My aspiration came from my children. My daughter was in track and ballet, and my son was a swimmer and baseball player. While supporting their athletic journeys, my interest grew. 3. As a child, did you have any African American tennis idols? Since I wasn’t athletically inclined as a child, Althea Gibson sparked my interest in watching tennis. I was taken on by the politeness and athleticism the sport had. It was wonderful to see her accomplishments at that time. After that, it was Arthur Ashe, of course. 4. What do you enjoy about recreational tennis? The return with recreational tennis is phenomenal! The mental health aspect is amazing. I am a retired air traffic controller and a retired photographer. Both jobs came with a lot of stress and anxiety. Tennis provided relief and relaxation from that. The focus was the game on the court and that gave me perspective with the other things going on in my life. 5. Have you been able to cultivate a sense of community among your tennis peers? There is definitely a sense of community amongst my tennis peers. Recently, I went to a wake for a coach who passed at the age of 94. As a result of meeting him decades ago, I have met so many wonderful and amazing people in tennis. These relationships extend beyond the tennis court. It has also been very rewarding to meet the caliber of individuals I have come to know. 6. How would you bring more awareness about tennis to underserved Black communities? Some ways to bring awareness is to bring tennis to the underserved. Extend invitations to come to exhibitions. Partner with organizations to transport individuals to watch or participate. This allows them to see the opportunities and successes others have had. It can spark an interest or be an outlet for them to grow. 7. Share some ideas to encourage local youth to take an interest in tennis. A way to encourage youth to go into tennis could be to mention some names that they may be familiar with to follow. Give them an understanding that it is a lifetime sport. The longevity of tennis players can also be used as encouragement.
Althea Chavez
1. How did you begin your tennis journey? When I moved to San Antonio back in 1987, I left a city where I was super involved in softball. I couldn’t find a softball team here in San Antonio, and I was working at Fort Sam and saw an advertisement for tennis lessons. I thought I would give it a try. The person who was giving the lessons, was a pro at Northern Hills Tennis Club (no longer exists). I joined the club and the rest is history. 2. Who inspired your interest in athletics? I was more of a bookworm than an athlete. 3. As a child, did you have any African American tennis idols? I heard of Arthur Ashe, but since I really wasn’t interested in tennis, it didn’t have an impact on me. I was named after the great Althea Gibson. She was the first black woman to win the French Open in 1956, and Wimbledon and the US Open in 1957. I was born in 1958 and have always loved that my parents named me Althea. I only wish, I could have inherited an ounce of her talent and not only her name. 4. What do you enjoy about recreational tennis? What I enjoy most is the lifelong friendships that I have gained since playing tennis and going out to eat after most matches, so we can get to know each other better. 5. Have you been able to cultivate a sense of community amongst your tennis colleagues? Absolutely! I consider my teammates my family. We not only play tennis but also give back to the community supporting each other’s churches and different charities. 6. How would you bring more awareness about tennis to underserved, black communities? Have different play days in the underserved communities where there are lessons, food, and maybe give them a tennis racquet and a can of balls to keep and not just use for the day. That way, they can find a building to hit against if they don’t have a court.
Relief Jones
1. How did you begin your tennis journey? My first introduction to tennis was during college when I signed up for a one-unit physical education class at Stanford. The best part of the experience was playing at Stanford’s tennis facility, knowing that some big names had passed through there over the years. My goal during the class was simply to learn the rules of the game and how to keep score. I played recreationally with my roommate during medical school and later with my family. However, it wasn’t until my mid-thirties that I truly caught the tennis bug. I spent hours studying videos on YouTube and eventually joined the USTA. I started playing tournaments and later joined a men’s league team. Over the years, I was able to climb from a 2.5-level player to a 4.0-level player. Tennis has been a great way to stay in shape, compete, and have fun! 2. Who inspired your interest in athletics? I started playing sports at age five. Baseball was my first sport, and I played it until I was 13. In middle school, I was introduced to wrestling and football, which became my primary sports through high school. In college, I was a cheerleader at Stanford. Throughout my athletic journey, my wrestling coach, Patrick Davis, had the greatest influence on me. Wrestling is a rigorous sport that requires both physical and mental toughness, and Coach Davis' approach was highly technical and cerebral. He treated sports like mathematics—which made sense because he was also my Algebra and Calculus teacher in high school. His family moved to the U.S. from Nicaragua, and he later joined the U.S. Marine Corps. His discipline, precision, and dedication had a lasting impact on me. 3. As a child, did you have any African American tennis idols? I didn’t watch tennis as a child. However, later in life, I started watching it on television and became a huge fan of American players. I loved watching James Blake, Andre Agassi, and Venus and Serena Williams. 4. What do you enjoy about recreational tennis? It may sound simple, but I love running to chase down balls, the feel of hitting a clean winner, and catching an opponent off guard with a drop shot. By nature, I’m very competitive, and tennis has given me an outlet to feed my competitive spirit as I get older. I have the most fun when my teammates play to win. 5. Have you been able to cultivate a sense of community among your tennis peers? Over the years, I’ve played at multiple tennis facilities. I started at Green Tree, then played a bit at Whispering Oaks and the JCC. Currently, I play at the Shavano Park Tennis Club, where I’ve gotten to know the owners and many of the members. Since my wife and son also play tennis, it has given me an opportunity to meet women players and many junior players from across the state. Tennis has definitely helped me build a strong sense of community. 6. How would you bring more awareness about tennis to underserved Black communities? That’s a great question! My son wanted to get more Black and Latino kids involved in tennis, so we started a community service project called Tennis 4 All (www.Tennis4AllSA.org). It has become a family affair. My son designed collection boxes to gather gently used tennis rackets and shoes, placing them at his school, tennis stores, and tennis clubs in San Antonio. We refurbish the rackets with new overgrips and strings when needed and clean and sanitize the shoes. Then, we host a three-hour tennis clinic introducing underserved youth to the sport. At the clinic, kids learn about the health benefits of tennis and how to keep score before jumping into warm-ups and drills that teach basic groundstrokes, volleys, and serves. We've been running the program for seven years (we only missed one year due to COVID), and it has been incredibly rewarding. In recent years, my son has taken the lead, running the clinic with other high-level junior players. Occasionally, he gets local tennis academy coaches and college players to assist. His hope is that some of these kids will choose to play tennis in middle or high school—and who knows? Maybe one of them will reach the college ranks or beyond! Now, he’s planning to pack up some of the donated shoes and send them to tennis facilities in the Caribbean and South America, where many kids cannot afford real tennis shoes. 7. Share some ideas to encourage local youth to take an interest in tennis. I believe the first step in getting local youth into tennis is representation—seeing players on TV who look like them. Tennis is a very international sport, and today, there are many players of color competing at the highest levels on both the men’s and women’s sides. One of the biggest obstacles for new players is understanding how the scoring works, which is why we focus on it at Tennis 4 All. Once kids understand the scoring system, it becomes much easier to follow matches on TV. Watching professional tennis in person can also be inspiring. San Antonio occasionally hosts pro tournaments, and encouraging young people to attend some of the matches could spark their interest in the sport.
Norma Butler
1. How did you begin your tennis journey? I’ve been playing tennis since I was in 7th grade and have played most of my life. 2. Who inspired your interest in athletics? Honestly, it was a great way to be out of the house. My parents are immigrants and were very strict. So, sports were my only way to constantly be out of the house. 3. As a child, did you have any African American tennis idols? Fortunately, I did. My middle school coach was black and he really pushed me harder, because he knew the struggles I had to overcome. 4. What do you enjoy about recreational tennis? I love tennis, and just love being on the court. 5. Have you been able to cultivate a sense of community among your tennis peers? I have. My tennis team has been amazing; they really rally around me and love on me. 6. How would you bring more awareness about tennis to underserved Black communities? I think more programs and more diversity of coaches would help. Promoting those programs is important too. 7. Share some ideas to encourage local youth to take an interest in tennis. I think you have to come to their level with fun games and programs that entertain them and spark their interest.
Hope Baker
1. How did you begin your tennis journey? In the early 1990’s I watched the US open for the first time and I got hooked on the sport. The mental and physical challenge of two individuals playing against each other fascinated me. 2. Who inspired your interest in athletics? I did not have anyone in my life that inspired me to play sports. I was always more interested in education. 3. As a child, did you have any African American tennis idols? I definitely looked up to Venus and Serena Williams. 4. What do you enjoy about recreational tennis? Recreational tennis allows me to socialize, meet people that I otherwise would not have the chance to interact with, and get plenty of exercise along the way. The potential to improve your tennis game is endless. 5. Have you been able to cultivate a sense of community among your tennis peers? When I first moved to San Antonio in 2011, I didn’t know anyone. After joining a tennis league, I met several people and developed a circle of friends that I still have to this day. I also (indirectly) met my husband through playing tennis. So it’s definitely been a sport that’s given me a sense of community. 6. How would you bring more awareness about tennis to underserved Black communities? There are several black professional tennis players who are popular, successful, and active on social media. They can be an inspiration to our youth as well. 7. Share some ideas to encourage local youth to take an interest in tennis. I think the school system can promote tennis. Local tennis association could offer scholarships to students to take lessons or participate in leagues.