By Neri Portilla-Marchiori

“TRUST YOUR TRAINING.” Prominently displayed in bold lettering below the neon yellow Junior Tennis Champions Center logo on the walls of the indoor buildings and on the back of every shirt, these words are meant to serve as motivation throughout the College Park facility. When you walk into the building, the diversity is apparent. Different accents, languages, and foods fill each room, with players, coaches, and families all leaving their mark on the facility.

Besides individual champions and role models, it’s the facilities, coaches, and courts themselves that hold the greatest power to influence local communities. JTCC, a nonprofit tennis training complex, embraces this ideal. The facility welcomes all players, including recent immigrants and some in wheelchairs. Its nationally acclaimed wheelchair tennis program and full-time program, which allows kids to attend school at the facility 5 days a week, have produced top-ranked players in the past and continue to do so today.

While many think of it as an elite, White sport, tennis has grown over the years, reaching communities that were historically discouraged or barred from it. Legends such as Arthur Ashe and Serena Williams paved the way for a new generation of players from all backgrounds, including many of today’s professionals.

Frances Tiafoe, ranked #22 globally as of May 1, began his tennis journey at JTCC, where he called it home for over a decade. His parents both immigrated from Sierra Leone, and his father took a job at the facility, which in turn allowed Tiafoe to live there while he trained. As he rose through the youth ranks and turned pro at 17, he never forgot his community back in Maryland.

“It’s memory lane; it built me,” said Tiafoe. “It created a very family-oriented vibe… and I never really felt alone [when competing].”

For a kid like Tiafoe, traveling across the country for tournaments, having a foundation, a place, an organization that had his back was essential.

When asked specifically about the place’s diversity, Tiafoe praised JTCC and its representation.

“It’s been incredibly diverse; it helped me back in the day… but I think their slogan ‘Tennis for Everyone’ is a real thing,” he said. “They help people who don’t normally have access to the game and created an environment that made me feel very much at home.”

Diversity at JTCC includes those with disabilities. By hosting wheelchair tennis sessions every Sunday afternoon, JTCC can introduce the sport to those who previously had little hope in the athletic world. Among those who coach them is college student Alex Xavier, who played at JTCC during high school.

“It’s great to be able to give back to the community. The players I work with probably wouldn’t
have been able to play in other places, so what we are doing here is really important,” said Alex.

Xavier reached the Champs 1 program during his time at JTCC, the highest performing level for non-full-time players. His coaching and playing career involved different kinds of players, but all were equally valuable experiences, he said.

“There were really high-level players I was going up against, but coaching is honestly just as difficult, in a good way, you know,” he said. “Like it’s not easy to find the best ways to help people learn, especially adults or those with disabilities. I’m glad I’m doing it though, for sure.”

A majority of the coaches are like Xavier, having trained at JTCC in their youth and competed against future professionals or collegiate-level players. This experience, mixed with the wide variety of backgrounds, has created an environment where anyone, from anywhere, can become their own champion.