CASUAL TENNIS: By Way of On Running

On the last day of AAPI hertiage month, we had six Asian-American women play tennis (by coincidence!) at Flintridge Canyon Tennis Club, with our favorite coach, Chris. We all laughed, cheered each other on, got competitive even.

It’s crazy that like that night, we all came from different places, various responsibilities and priorities, specific wins and losses in our personal lives, and for an hour, able to focus on nothing but a tennis ball, our breath, how to time our approach to the net, and it was freeing. And fun.

The conversations after we left the court had me feeling like we all just needed to get outside and move our bodies, for sure for our physical wellbeing but for mental stability, emotional health, and even as an outlet to heal as well (I hope that isn’t too far of a stretch, but if you were at the clinic or had the conversations I had with the players post clinic, you’d resonate with this).

When we left, we walked off the court with the promise to play more, we left feeling ready to have more than an hour to focus on nothing but the task at hand, and not the other responsibilities or traumas, big or small, of the day, week, month or year. We left with a little extra bounce and the desire for more.

Thanks to On Running for the ability to play in such a beautiful space with some guidance from a coach. For understanding that selling really good-looking product (esp the tennis shoes - hi Roger) is great, but getting women on the court is even better. We have three more clinics coming up for free because they’re sponsoring them and my goal is get as many new players playing this summer as possible. For our bodies sure, but for our brains and our community health, 100. LFG.

Photography by our beautiful friend Jennelle Fong, assisted by Aliana Turkel.

The Players

  • Leslie Corpuz

    Senior Account Executive on the Brand Partnerships team at HYPEBEAST, leading entertainment and music.

    I started playing tennis at the age of 4.

  • Misa Miyagawa

    Designer and Founder, Botanica Workshop. Born and raised in LA, Japanese American, a million interests I can barely keep up with.

    I took tennis classes during high school at the courts near Griffith Park but never played as an adult.

  • Jenny Sung

    Founder of Gjenmi, jewelry designer, shop owner. Umma to Theo (8) and Luna (6).

    I played for a year in middle school but don’t remember much of it. During 2020, it was a “safe” option to play with my family and quaranteam during Covid.

  • Sarah Kim

    Founder of By Way of Us. Champion of women. Mom of Kiko James.

    I’ve been playing since the 7th grade and played through high school!

  • Arianne Cortez

    Manages retail and clothing production for a lifestyle boutique in Los Angeles called Mister Green.

    I started playing tennis in the summer of 2011. I played all throughout high school playing singles and doubles.

  • Megan Corpuz

    Registered Nurse, Huntington Hospital. I enjoy spending quality time with my friends and family, traveling, going to as many live concerts as I can, eating yummy food and reading self help books.

    I started to play tennis at the very tender age of 6 and my father enrolled my brother, sister and I into a class and we continued to play all the way through high school.

Hot summer night, Flintridge Canyon Tennis Club, last session of the day. Six players, one coach.

The day’s (week’s, month’s, year’s) stress all on the court. We asked each player how they felt in the clinic (amidst the backdrop of a world on fire) to reflect on the impact of sport on their lives. Between it being one player’s first time ever playing at a club in a clinic and doubles(!), another who almost canceled coming because of the intense load of small business owner life (her shop got broken into days before and everything was stolen), to others feeling reinvigorated, with the will and want to be back out on the court again after stopping due to the stress and pressure of tournament play, we found ourselves laughing, playing harder than we anticipated, (possibly on the verge of tears at one point, maybe that was just me), sweating, excited for the next time we could play again before the clinic had even ended.

Jenny Sung

 
What has your relationship to movement and working out (tennis or not) been like for you? 

Post two babies, I realized how much moving my body and being physical meant to me. It wasn’t about being “fit” or looking a certain way anymore, but it became an outlet for me to curb my anxiety, depression and boost my serotonin. When I am not regularly active, I can not only feel my body drag but my mind seems to be in a slump too. I can’t recommend physical activity MORE because it’s done so much for my mental health.


Can you tell me about how you were able to show up for yourself (by way of tennis) in light of what had happened at your shop? 

I felt like canceling that night to be honest. It was just days before the burglary but in light of everything, I wanted to:

  1. get out of my head about everything that had to do with work.

  2. be there to support you and your event!

  3. do something for myself even though I felt it was weird/too soon/maybe i’ll start crying once I start hitting the ball. 

I don’t know. I’m glad I did it though. It’s so tough because being active and exercising has given me my mental health back but after the burglary it made me feel like crying/sobbing once I hit a limit of exhaustion. It was and still is a weird feeling. 

Leslie Corpuz

 
How did it feel being back on the court again?

Not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous because I thought that it was going to be really competitive and one of the reasons why I stopped playing tennis was the pressure and stress during tournaments. 


How did you feel after our clinic? 

It was actually really empowering and uplifting because all of the girls were encouraging, they would cheer you on if you had a nice swing and we laughed a lot. I had a big smile on my face after the clinic and can't wait for the next one!

Sarah Kim

 
How has the last two years (of Covid staying in or going out or however you've been dealing with it all) been for you? Were you able to find anything that helped you move your body?

Covid was hard, I gave birth right at the beginning of lock down so it was a crazy feeling to feel so taxed physically but not be “working out” the way that I was used to. Being a mom is a full body work out, physically, mentally, emotionally.  

What has your relationship to movement and working out been like for you?

It’s always been about how I look, not in a vain way, just I want to look and feel strong. Post baby that’s really all gone out the window. I’m working out now for my mental strength. I’m a better me (mom, wife, entrepreneur, daughter, sister) when I work out. 

Arianne Cortez

 
When and how did you start to play tennis?

I started playing tennis in the summer of 2011. I played all throughout high school playing singles and doubles. 

Growing up in Norwalk, CA, tennis was not a popular sport. I attribute my knowledge of the sport from watching others play and move, rather than receiving lessons. Self-taught baby! 

Side note: personally, tennis is a pretty elitist sport. You "need" the classes, gear, attire, membership. So I am always proud to let people know that I am using second-hand racquets, and more or less, self-taught. 


Did playing tennis with other women feel like it affirmed any wants or goals in terms of moving your body or help dispel any negative body feelings you might have?

I had a recent revelation about why I love tennis. It definitely helps me find my femininity. There's a certain grace to the sport that is all onto you. From the way you dress, to your form, to how you handle gameplay mentally. It’s definitely a spectator sport, and it’s all on you to make yourself look and feel as best you can, with your current level of experience.

Misa Miyagawa

 
How did it feel being back on the court again? How did you feel after our clinic?

It was amazing because there were so many firsts! I had never participated in a clinic before, never played doubles, never played at such a nice club. 


What has your relationship to movement and working out (tennis or not) been like for you?

Honestly, I really dislike working out. I’ve never been athletic and didn’t grow up playing sports. However, it definitely has a huge effect on my mental health, and since I started exercising more I definitely feel stronger both physically and mentally. I also get inspired watching videos on social media that show how my favorite players train, and sometimes I try to imitate their exercises in the gym. 

Megan Corpuz

 
How had the last two years (of Covid staying in or going out or however you've been dealing with it all) been for you? Were you able to find anything that helped you move your body?

Being a nurse working through the pandemic, I had a lot of stress, grief and trauma trapped in my body so the only way I knew how to move through those emotions was to move my body. I barely saw my friends and family so I spent a lot of time doing at home workouts on YouTube. It was one of the outlets that I clung on to during these trying times. It helped me and my mental health tremendously.


Did playing tennis with other women feel like it affirmed any wants or goals in terms of moving your body or help dispel any negative body feelings you might have?

I feel like as women we are taught to fit this societal mold of what our bodies should look like. I know growing up I have struggled with body dysmorphia and wanting to look a certain way. But as I’ve grown older and have come across so many women with different shapes, sizes, and colors, I have realized that we are all beautiful, strong, and our bodies do amazing things. As I played tennis with these wonderful ladies it only strengthened what I already know: that women are so fucking powerful and I’m so proud to be one.

Tennis is a sport that calls for another player across the net. It isn’t fun alone, with a wall or a ball machine. It, like so much of life, is better with someone else.

Shout out to all of our players from this clinic and upcoming. We’re so excited to be together again.

We’ll see you on the court.