Amaya Lopez/Clay

https://www.instagram.com/p/DUVlCPjAN6B/?igsh=MXBzZWdjNmNyNWhyZw==

CourtSide Stories #85: . This is tennis player Amaya Lopez! This is her story: . “I grew up in Boston MA and started playing competitive tennis at eight, and by 12 moved with my mom to Boca Raton, Florida to pursue tennis at a higher level. After the move, I received a full scholarship to the Rick Macci Tennis Academy, where I became homeschooled to train full-time. Tennis became my life, and throughout my junior career I saw success earning a top-5 ranking in Florida and a top-50 national ranking. Through tennis, I was able to follow my dream of moving to California to begin my Division I college career at the University of the Pacific, where I played for 2.5 years. I later found another dream in New York and transferred to St. John’s University to continue competing at the Division I level, where I graduated. After five years of Division I college tennis, I had the incredible opportunity to extend my career by moving to the United Kingdom—a country I had never even visited— to earn my master’s degree at the University of Essex while representing their women’s first team. While I look back on my college career as one of my greatest accomplishments, it was also accompanied by some of the hardest periods of my life. Throughout those years, I experienced toxic leadership, mental health struggles, inequality, and challenges with self-identity outside of my sport realities that, unfortunately, many college athletes face. That said, over the years I was able to overcome these trials and leave the game with an immense appreciation for all of the lessons I’ve learned along the way & the incredible doors it’s opened for me. Tennis will always hold a place in my heart and be part of who I am.” . . . . . #courtsidetheory #courtsidetheorystories #tennis #fy

Former St Johns University tennis player, Amaya Lopez/Clay got her postgraduate season off to a winning start last week and is looking forward to rest of her year in the UK. 🎾🇬🇧

If you're looking to experience life overseas as a student-athlete in 2024, now is the ideal time to start planning your journey!

Register your details for our FREE service via the link below to find out what postgraduate opportunities could be available to you.
https://www.playoverseas.co.uk/apply

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