Tag: Impact

Diego Tran Rosado_1

Serving off the Court: Diego Tran Rosado

As social distancing continues, teenagers find themselves dealing with issues such as completing school online, lack of extracurricular activities, and of course missing spending time with their friends. Additionally, with the suspension of activities such as tennis, many find that they may have extra time on their hands. One USTA Mid-Atlantic member and junior tennis player decided to put his spare time to good use. Deigo Tran Rosado and his dad, USTA member Dao Tran regularly volunteer their time delivering meals and groceries for Corona Aid 757, and Southeastern Food Bank.

We caught up with Diego to find out more about him and how he and his dad are serving off the court. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic: Where do you live now?

Diego: We currently live in Virginia Beach, VA

Tell me about your family?

My dad is American and my mom is Spanish. My sister and I were both born in Spain. 

I grew up in Malaga, Spain. I have Spanish and US citizenship.

We moved to the United States because my sister wanted to finish high school here and then head to college. We moved here last July 2019 and we attend Princess Anne High School.

Diego Rosado

How did you get your start in tennis?

After I quit soccer and didn’t want to do a summer camp, my dad told me I had to find another sport. So he took me out to the tennis court since he loves tennis. I was 7 years old that summer. I’ve stayed with it since. 

Currently, I train at a club and with a private coach and with my dad. I started playing tournaments on weekends when I was 9 years old.

How long have you been playing?

9 years

Where do you usually play?

Cape Henry Racquet Club

Diego Tran Rosado

Do you play on teams or in tournaments?

Yes, JTT at Old Dominion University with Jennifer Toomey’s team. I play individually at different USTA tournaments in Virginia and North Carolina.

Tell me about how you are serving off court?

My dad and I are helping CoronaAid757 and Southeastern Food Bank by making deliveries to seniors, those in financial need and in quarantine.

We deliver meals 2-3 times a week depending on days we are not busy with school work and have been delivering since mid-March.

Why did you decide to volunteer your time?

My dad has volunteered before and told me how rewarding it was many times. He did it when he was at the university with Rotaract and other local organizations back in Los Angeles. So whenever he has time he would look to volunteer. 

Then when we started seeing people (and cars in long lines) on TV standing in line for food kitchens we wondered what about people who cannot leave their homes like seniors and those who are in quarantine or those who didn’t even have a car and take buses that may need food or help. We wanted to help these people who are isolated and cannot even go out.

How did you get started?

We wanted to help in some way locally but weren’t sure what we could do. So we did research and found CoronaAid757 on Facebook and later found the Southeastern Food Bank on Google. Both needed drivers to make deliveries. Since we can volunteer the days and hours we are free, we decided to sign up and help.

What’s your favorite part of making deliveries?

It’s rewarding to see the look on the recipient’s faces when they receive their packages and meals, knowing that we’re helping in some way. We’re all in this together and no one should be forgotten. It helps you stay grounded and humble and grateful.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to volunteer during this time?

Organizations always need volunteers. It doesn’t take much but it means a lot for those in need. If you have time and transportation, just reach out and ask how you can help, no matter your experience, skills or background, it’s easy as that. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic is proud of all of our members who are serving the community during this time of crisis. Let us know how you or your tennis friends are going above and beyond for others and making a difference during the coronavirus pandemic by emailing hughes@mas.usta.com. 

Click here to find out how you can support USTA Mid-Atlantic, a non-profit organization to make an impact on our region through the power of tennis.

Serving off the Court: Trinh Banks

For tennis players in the Mid-Atlantic region, making a difference starts on the tennis courts where players find themselves building character and a strong sense of community through the sport. But often among our tennis community, there are many players making a difference that reaches far beyond. 

During this unusual time and new normal of social distancing due to the coronavirus pandemic, USTA Mid-Atlantic Section is seeing how our tennis community is going above and beyond for others. We are excited to hear about the many ways our tennis family is stepping off the court and impacting our larger communities in the region during this time and want to share these uplifting stories. 

One such player giving back is Trinh Banks.

Trinh is an Annandale, Va., mother of four and USTA Mid-Atlantic member. As a 4.0/4.5 player, Trinh enjoys playing in USTA Leagues because of the community it provides her. League play is her opportunity to not only compete but to hang out with friends. That friendship and camaraderie helped elevate her and her teammates’ games, taking them all the way to USTA 4.5 League Nationals two times. 

Trinh Banks_Mask production
Mask Production

However, with league play on hold and social distancing in place, Trinh decided to focus her energy on giving back to the Mid-Atlantic community – and even beyond –  by sewing cloth masks and donating them.

Trinh started making masks by taking personal requests. With materials that she had on hand, she began sewing the masks and sending them to her friends and family who work in the healthcare industry. Then, using Facebook, she started donating them wherever there was a need, including sending her masks to Mississippi, Chicago, and New York City – a coronavirus hot spot.

When Mary Washington Hospital launched the 5,000-mask challenge, Trinh did not hesitate to participate. Her tennis friends jumped in as well by donating some of the materials for the masks. Trinh, with the support of her tennis friends, has contributed to the 1,600 masks that Mary Washington has received so far.

Trinh has made more than 100 masks. Now, she has added sewing surgeons caps as well. She recently shipped 30 caps to a nurse from Orlando, Fl., who is currently serving on the frontlines in New Orleans, La.

Trinh Banks_Masks to hospital workers

“I saw a need about the PPE. I have a skill and I wanted to help in any way that I can,” said Banks.

For Trinh, sewing is a family affair and she learned the skill from her parents. Her mom was a seamstress and her dad was a tailor. Trinh continues the family tradition by using this time to teach her four children, whose ages range between 8 and 12, how to sew. They’ve had an active role in helping her make the masks and are contributing in the act of kindness. In addition to having extra little hands to help, Trinh says she also uses this time to teach her kids skills that include math, planning, and preparation through sewing.

When asked for her advice on getting involved and giving back during the pandemic, particularly if you lack sewing skills, she says,  “There are different ways to contribute. One way is to donate materials such as pipe cleaners, cloth, and elastics. Another way is to pre-cut the materials and send them to someone sewing masks. Any little bit helps.”

USTA Mid-Atlantic is proud of the impact that our members are having on our community. Let us know how you or your tennis friends are going above and beyond for others and making a difference during the coronavirus pandemic by dropping us a message on social media.

For more uplifting stories to come, make sure you are following our blog via email. Scroll down and add your email address in the bottom right to get a notification when we post something new! You can also get all the latest on the USTA Mid-Atlantic’s COVID-19 response here. 

After School Program Sparks Love for Tennis

USTA Mid-Atlantic Section partnered  with Belvedere Elementary School in Fairfax County, Va., to introduce tennis as a brand new after school program during the 2018-2019 school year. The program was met with incredible enthusiasm and both the fall and spring sessions were completely full. Many children picked up a tennis racquet and began learning the sport for the first time. 

While tennis brought the student population together and helped create camaraderie through learning a new sport together, one student in particular had an experience that’s proving to be even more meaningful than expected.Maryn-belvedere-3

Maryn P., joined the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section’s after school tennis program at Belvedere Elementary last school year and according to her mom Jaana, it has opened up a whole new love of sport – especially tennis – for the young girl. 

“I am so glad that tennis is offered as an after school activity at Belvedere Elementary here in Fairfax, Va! My husband and I very much enjoy playing tennis and really wanted our daughter Maryn to learn the sport too but didn’t know how to get her started,” explained Jaana. 

“We were very thankful for tennis to be offered after school so she can learn the basics and that she could do it with other kids from school.  We thought it would be a great start, and more fun than just us [teaching her],” she added. 

As a non-profit organization, USTA Mid-Atlantic aims to make tennis the most accessible sport in the region and one way we do that is by providing high-quality after school tennis programs with the support of donations. We want all people, especially children to experience the benefits of tennis, a lifelong sport, so they can develop skills and healthy habits that will pay dividends for years to come.  

For Jaana, the USTA Mid-Atlantic after school tennis program has sparked an excitement in Maryn for the sport that has been enjoyable to see blossom, and doors to new opportunities are opening.  

“I think the after school tennis program has really sparked an interest with Maryn.  She was interested in watching Wimbledon this year, and we even went to the kids day at the Citi Open tournament, which we wouldn’t have known about if it wasn’t for the USTA Mid-Atlantic after school tennis program. Maryn really enjoyed participating in a tennis summer camp program as well. She is looking forward to playing tennis again as school starts. I’m so glad to have had the program offered so she can at least start learning the basics, and who knows where it will go from there,” Jaana said.

As for Maryn, learning a new sport has been pure fun.Maryn-belvedere-1

“I love learning and getting to the next level.  I was very excited to get to the red level to get a new racquet! I told my friend on the bus and now she is going to play this fall too because she also wants a racquet. I really enjoy hitting the ball back and forth- it’s fun,” she says.

USTA Mid-Atlantic is looking forward to kicking off the 2019-2020 school year of after school tennis at Belvedere Elementary and many other schools across the Mid-Atlantic region. We aim to introduce more children to tennis and spark their love of a new sport they may not have ever known. But we need to help to ensure we can succeed.

Your tax-deductible gift of $100.74 covers the cost to provide equipment, a high-quality curriculum, and instruction for one child in the program. USTA Mid-Atlantic provides all of this so participants just need to come ready to play and have fun.

As the school year is just getting underway, your gift can make an immediate difference. Importantly, you can double your gift when you give thanks to an anonymous donor matching all donations up to $10,000 in 2019.

You can help change lives through the power of the USTA Mid-Atlantic after school tennis program. Give today. 

USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, Inc. is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; EIN 54-1472806. All donations made to USTA Mid-Atlantic Section Inc. are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. 

A Reason Why

We caught up with David K., an active donor to USTA Mid-Atlantic Section, and talked to him about his reasons why he supports the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section. 

How long have you been playing tennis? What do you love about the sport? 

David K.: I started playing tennis in my teens, then later while I was in the U.S. Air Force in Berlin, Germany.  Following my military service, I attended college and went to work as a defense contractor from which I was deployed to many locations throughout the world.  No matter where you go, no matter what country; no matter the environment, you can always find someone who plays tennis. If you cannot find a court, there is always a wall to practice on. In 2018 I decided to try refereeing. This has proven to be a great way to stay in the game and help our youth, plus the referee has the best seat in the house! You can’t get any closer to good tennis!

Why do you choose to donate to the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section? 

David K.: I like to support organizations that I know will put donations to good use and I like to help the youth of today become our leaders for tomorrow. 

Do you feel you are helping make a difference? How? 

David K.: Being a referee in the Mid-Atlantic Section, one has the opportunity to see first hand where the donations go as well as watching our youth compete and improve their skills.

You can show support and directly impact and improve access to tennis for all people in the Mid-Atlantic region by making a tax-deductible donation to the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section. 

Already a donor? What are your reasons why you support USTA Mid-Atlantic? Get in touch and share your “why.” We’d love to feature your story too!

Make an Impact Beyond the Net

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Create happier, healthier, and more active communities through tennis.

Tennis has the power to transform lives. Tennis gets you physically active and helps you stay mentally sharp. It gives you new challenges to face and a lesson learned every time you play. New friends are made and you connect with people from your community. Above all, tennis is a sport you can play your entire life.

We believe every person in the Mid-Atlantic region deserves access to the transformative power of tennis, especially children. You can help increase access to tennis and grow the sport so that more people, no matter background, location, resources, ability, can learn and play for life.

See how your support will directly influence the Mid-Atlantic tennis community.

Today, you can make an impact beyond the net! By making a tax-deductible donation you will directly impact the access to tennis in the Mid-Atlantic. And now is a better time than ever to make a tax-deductible donation because an anonymous donor will double all donations up to $10,000 for 2019!