Everyone's tennis journey is different; for some, it starts later in life when they're on vacation with their kids, for others, they started playing at camp as a kid and find themselves on the court a handful a times during the year. For Joanne Salloum, her tennis career started when she was just a few years old as she played with her sister and mom. But Joanne definitely spends more time on the court than the average teenager.
One of Joanne's favorite parts of tennis is the fact that, between all the triumphs and tribulations, every point is something that she must face alone. She is in control of her destiny on the court and can create a new story with every stroke she hits. Sometimes it can be difficult for us to face the consequences of our actions, but Joanne thrives off of that aspect of the sport.
In her opinion, tennis is one of the best activities to pursue because it is a life sport. Joanne still plays with her family like she did in her younger years, but now she's expanded to include her friends in her tennis circle. On the Paul D. Schreiber Senior High School tennis team, Joanne has become close with many of the girls and was extremely grateful to reach finals last season. Given the circumstances, everyone was grateful to have a positive and successful season, especially when no one knew what tomorrow would bring.
Joanne also loves the sport because it gives her more time to spend outside, and any moment spent outdoors is time well spent in this teenager's eyes! Besides playing tennis, Joanne lifeguards, gives swim lessons, and plays volleyball for her church team. Getting outside once a day to enjoy the warm weather is a priority on her list, and we can understand why.
The teenager has been able to combine her love for the outdoors with her internship this summer at the Long Island Tennis Magazine. Rather than being stuck inside at a desk for the months before she returns to the classroom, Joanne gets to be on the court with athletes, capturing the best moments of their matches and learning a little bit more about them afterwards through interviews. Besides asking about their on-court strategies, Joanne likes to get to know what the players enjoy off the court - sometimes, those are the most interesting tidbits to discover.
Further down the line, she wants to pursue a career within the medical field where she can use the lesson's she's learning every day and apply them to make someone else's life a little bit better. We’re excited to see Joanne’s path to success, one milestone at a time!
BY: SYDNEY MUELLER
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