By Brian Coleman
Coaching Spotlight 14
Jason Pasion Sportime Lynbrook
A
s the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world at the beginning of last year, Jason Pasion, who at the time was the head coach of the Hofstra men’s and women’s tennis teams, decided to help out. Armed with a medical degree and a desire to contribute, Pasion wanted to do his part. “I remained in touch with a lot of my classmates from physician assistant school, and as I heard about the healthcare worker shortage and the obstacles they were facing every day, I decided, ‘You know what, I have the degree, I’m trained. Why not put it to use instead of doing nothing,” recalls Pasion. “Our season at Hofstra was cancelled, and I was only able to communicate with my team through Zoom. We weren’t allowed to practice, and a lot of them went back to their home countries. With everything that was going on, I really thought I could be of better use to the community.” Pasion began volunteering at local hospitals, and re-connected with old colleagues and classmates as he helped in the fight against COVID-19. While doing so, he continued to work part-time at Sportime Roslyn, something he had been doing off and on throughout his time as the full-time coach for Hofstra, and NYIT prior to that, as a tennis pro. Returning to the world of medicine, combined with an increasing role at Sportime, led Pasion to the decision to resign from his Hofstra coaching position and into the next chapter of his life. "Going back to work as a physician assistant during the COVID-19 pandemic made me realize that I want to return to the healthcare field," said Pasion. "I also wanted to stay involved in the sport I love, which made the position at Sportime appealing. Ultimately, I will
Long Island Tennis Magazine • November/December 2021 • LITennisMag.com
