August 19th, 2015

Miami’s Borromeo, Pettis Named Co-Tennis Volunteers of the Month

Volunteer Of The Month Junior Team Tennis Adult Tennis News
Kara Borromeo and Lee Pettis

Kara Borromeo and Lee Pettis

Miami’s Kara Borromeo and Leroy Pettis are a package deal in delivering Junior Team Tennis play opportunities to kids in Miami-Dade County.

While Kara receives many of the accolades as the “face” of the partnership, she readily admits that her husband Leroy is her “right hand, who I couldn’t do this without.”

Last year Kara was the recipient of the year-end USTA Florida Tennis Team Volunteer of the Year award. The two teach tennis at the Truth N Tennis Acadame program for the Village of Palmetto Bay at Coral Reef Park, where juniors in the program receive top travel opportunities with Junior Team Tennis, be it local, regional or national.

“For the past five years we have had a minimum of five teams registered in every season of our South Miami-Dade team tennis local league,” Kara says. “Also a minimum of three teams registered in every [USTA Florida] sectional event or Regional Team Tennis Challenge event we were able to attend. In 2012 we took a 14-and-under intermediate team to USTA Junior Team Tennis Nationals in Cayce, S.C.”

With the addition of Team Tennis Challenges to the USTA Florida junior tennis slate, Kara joined the USTA Florida Team Tennis Committee to help grow junior tennis in the Sunshine State.

“Kara and Leroy have sent multiple teams to multiple Team Tennis Challenges the last two years, including those not in the Miami region,” says USTA Florida Associate Executive Director Andy McFarland. “Locally, Kara and Leroy support the 10 and Under Tennis initiative within their lessons and programs.”

The travel and team format of Junior Team Tennis offers her kids growth opportunities that extend beyond the courts, says Kara.

“If it were not for Junior Team Tennis events, these kids would probably never have the opportunity to experience tennis  competition and the camaraderie of being on a team,” she says. “They have so much fun traveling to events.”

USTA Florida thanks Kara Borromeo and Leroy Pettis as the co-recipients of the August 2015 Volunteer of the Month award for volunteering their time to junior tennis players in the Miami area, and their support of Junior Team Tennis and Team Tennis Challenges.

ABOUT KARA AND LEROY

Kara Birthplace: Cebu City, Philippines
Leroy Birthplace: Denver, Colorado

Kara Family Members: 3 brothers
Leroy Family Members: 1 sister

Kara Favorite Movie: “All Transporter movies”
Leroy Favorite Movie: “All Jet Li movies”

Kara Favorite Food: Pancit
Leroy Favorite Food: Chicken and Rice

Kara Favorite Travel: Las Vegas
Leroy Favorite Travel: Las Vegas

Kara Favorite Shot: One-handed backhand
Leroy Favorite Shot: Forehand

Leroy: My earliest tennis memory was…“Losing my first tennis match.”
Kara: My earliest tennis memory was…“My mom taking me to the US Open.”

Leroy: If I could play tennis with three people, they would be…“Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic.”
Kara: If I could play tennis with three people, they would be…“Kei Nishikori, Kim Clijsters, and Gael Monfils.”

Both: When I am not playing tennis I am…“Relaxing, working out, or watching TV.”

Both: My best tennis memory is…“Attending the US Open.”

Both: We like to volunteer in tennis because…“We like to help kids learn a sport of a lifetime and to help them build their character.”

 

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