Extending the Racket

Student starts Dublin Tennis Outreach Program

By Brandon Klein

William Sun recalls traveling with his Dublin Coffman tennis team in his freshman year to compete. Sure, Coffman bested the opposing team and it was a great victory, but it was the conversation he had with the opposing team’s members after the match that stuck with him.

“They were really passionate about this sport,” Sun says.

Many of that school’s members told Sun they wished they started playing tennis at an earlier age. Most, if not all, started playing the sport in high school. It was for this reason that Sun, who started playing tennis in the fifth grade at the encouragement of a friend, decided to start a tennis outreach program in 2018.

Tennis is an expensive sport and “It has been astonishing to see the while much of Dublin is fortunate, it growth that Dublin TOP has experiisn’t without families who experience enced. It is an absolute blessing to see financial barriers when it comes to the continual support of our wonderful their kids’ extracurriculars. communities that we serve. All Sun started the program at an in all, I am so grateful to see elementary school teaching more and more peers of mine seven students before lunch coming together to help with time four to five days a week. our organization in continuing

But Sun knew he could reach to provide the best service posmore than the seven students he sible,” Sun says. started with, so he founded the The weekly lessons involve Dublin Tennis Outreach Pro- William Sun conditioning and drill sessions. gram, which caters to stu-dents Since the pandemic, the proin kindergarten through the fifth grade. gram has moved to virtual sessions. The program has branches in Dublin, During the early days of those virtual Hilliard and Olentangy school areas, instructions, students had to mimic tenabout 600 student registrations and more nis swing motions without a racket from than 20 high school students that volun- their bedrooms or their back yard. Soon teer to instruct the lessons free of charge. after that, Sun’s program received some

To inquire about how to get involved in the program, contact dublintop2019@gmail.com.

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614-323-6314 or Ray@raylavoie.com to book your session Professional Photographer Digital files for your use Credit Cards,Venmo and PayPal Accepted grant funding to provide many of its students a child-sized racket and a foam ball to practice.

Now a high school senior, Sun says he’s focused on getting into college but hopes to continue playing tennis. When he leaves Dublin, the program will be run by high school student volunteers.

Gangadhar GS and Shwetha Shashidhar decided to enroll their son, Milan, in the tennis program and he was accepted after the pandemic began.

“For Milan, tennis has become his favorite game,” Shashidhar says.

Her son follows tennis players who’ve accomplished the Grand Slam – winning the major championships in Australia, France, England and the United States in the same calendar season – and he wants to play for his school and in international matches.

“He wants to learn and play the best shots of Federer, Djokovic and Nadal,” she says.

Milan practices tennis against a wall in his basement in the winter and outside with parents and friends in the summer.

“Milan is very passionate about tennis and is getting most of the motivation from the DTOP classes,” Shashidhar says. “DTOP coaches are very committed, passionate and full of enthusiasm. They make it a fun learning experience. Especially during this pandemic time, having DTOP taking classes online is helping kids to maintain their fitness and also learn the game. They are truly spreading the love for tennis in kids.”