RIVER VALE, N.J. — For almost as long as she can remember, Alexis Ban has had a tennis racket in her hand. As she says, “I started playing tennis at around 3 years old when my parents signed me up for clinics on small courts. Both of my parents have played tennis all of their lives and wanted to get me and my sister involved at a young age.”

Holding Court

Growing up on and around tennis courts has certainly paid dividends. The years of practice and the desire to be the best tennis player she can possibly be led Alexis to playing competitive tennis from the ripe old age of 10! She says, “I started playing USTA tournaments at around 10 years old, and still play USTA tournaments and Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) matches on a regular basis. I also play on the Pascack Valley High School varsity tennis team (2nd singles-freshmen year, 1st singles-sophomore year).”

Above all, Alexis loves the unique challenges the game of tennis presents. As she says, “Tennis interests me because there are so many components of the game that need to come together to make my game work and to be successful. There is always something that you can work on or a new goal that you can work towards which always challenges me and keeps me on my toes.”

In her two years of playing varsity tennis for the Pascack Valley High School team, Alexis has already achieved success on the court as evidenced by:

• PVHS Freshman Year: 2nd team All-League (singles)
• PVHS Sophomore Year: Year: 1st team All-League (singles)

She has also had success entering USTA tournaments including a win at a 16 and Under tournament as well as being a finalist in a couple of other tournaments. In the summer, her UTR was 4.21.

During her first two years as a varsity tennis player, Alexis’ team finished with a .500 winning percentage. As she says, “We are looking to improve on our record as a team during the upcoming season.”

As she enters her Junior season, Alexis’ on court excellence and team-first attitude has brought with it a desire to grow into a leadership role. She says, “To me, leadership means setting an example and doing things for the entire team. Whenever my individual match is over, I am always excited to watch my teammates’ matches, and during practice I am always working hard and doing whatever I can to help make the team better. I think that a good leader works to set a good example and cares more about team success than individual accomplishments. I try to embody leadership in my everyday life by staying true to this and by helping my teammates and others around me both within and outside of athletics.”

Off the Court

In addition to tennis, Alexis has also played softball most of her life, and during her sophomore year she was the starting First baseman on the Pascack Valley High School Varsity Softball team. For her efforts, she was named as “Honorable Mention” to the All-League team following her sophomore campaign.

Alexis’ desire to succeed on the court and on the softball field has transferred to many aspects of her life. It is on display at school, at work, and as an active volunteer in the community.

At school, Alexis:

• has been enrolled in all Honors or AP courses throughout high school.
• achieved High Honor Roll status in both her freshman and sophomore year of high school.
• had an article published in the PV Student Publication.
• represented the tennis team on the Mascot selection committee.
• is a member of Interact Club (a club that helps out families in need through bake sales, food drives, and different specialized projects to help the most during these challenging times).

At work, Alexis:

• teaches tennis to younger kids at Match Point Tennis Club.
• tutors elementary school children.
• babysits for multiple families.

As a volunteer, Alexis: 

• works at Camp Raspberry—a club where she participates in different events to help engage children with special needs in different games and activities.
• traveled to Hawaii this past summer on a teen tour/community service trip.
• serves as an aide at her temple’s Hebrew school.
• visited local nursing homes doing arts and crafts with the residents while in middle school.
• volunteers at Healing Meals, a community service organization that cooks meals for kids and their families that are in the hospital.

In her downtime, Alexis loves to spend time with her Dad (Jason), Mom (Erica), and younger sister (Jordyn). She also loves to spend time hanging out with her friends. As the tennis season begins, Alexis looks to continue to better herself not only as a tennis player, but also as a person. So, let’s root for her both on and off the court!

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