Church Tennis Team Wins Junior Team National Championship

When Jessica Reinike took over her church’s tennis club 11 years ago, she never thought they would become one of the best junior teams in the country. 

Reinike was a standout tennis player at the University of Oklahoma and was looking for a way to share two of her passions with kids.  

“We wanted to take some kids out after church, teach them a sport, and fellowship together and share God’s word,” said Reinike.  

What started with 10 to 15 kids, some as young as 4 years old, has grown to more than 50.  

“I think they love it. They seem to, and they have so much fun together doing it. So, we support 52 kids right now year around,” said Reinike.  

Jessica says 70% of the kids on the team would not be able to play tennis due to finances. 

“I spend most of my time after school just playing tennis. I’m really dedicated to it, and I’ve been playing for a while,” said tennis player John Paul Dillon.  

Tokara Henderson is one of the original players. She started playing at just 4 years old.  

“They were like the reason I started playing tennis and tennis has become like, my whole entire life,” said tennis player Tokara Henderson.  

Tennis skills are a priority, but there is clearly more to this program.  

“I see kids grow as leaders also. They are leaders of our team, they are bible study fellowship friends, and so for me it does a lot more than just the tennis,” said Reinike.  

The academy competed with a team of 11 for the junior team championships. After winning the state competition and their section, the team earned a trip to the nationals in Orlando.  

“Every match that we played in Florida was close and we had to compete. Everybody’s games count,” said Reinike.  

“So, we won. We ended up winning all of nationals,” said Dillon.  

“It was a bunch of teams, I think it was like 199 teams and for us to win it is kind of really big,” said Henderson.   

And even after winning on the biggest stage, coach Reinike reminds them of what’s important.  

“I hope they grow in their faith as they grow in their tennis,” said Reinike.  

The team will continue to practice and work with the younger kids in the program. With 52 kids in the program, practice happens 6 days a week with the different teams.  

The team is always looking for support. You can reach them on their website at www.bcctennisacademy.com