As Los Altos High School seniors Ava Randall and Sophia Stavrakos wrap up their last year of high school, they take a moment to reflect on what most shaped their four-year experience — Magical Tennis.
Magical Tennis is a seasonal program where high school students participate in one-on-one coaching sessions with children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They spend the majority of the sessions focusing on hitting the ball and serving before transitioning into fun, collaborative games, such as obstacle courses or Red Light, Green Light.
Randall and Stavrakos established the Magical Tennis program after playing as tennis doubles partners during their freshman year of high school and bonding over a shared love of the sport.
During their sophomore year of high school, Randall and Stavrakos met Harriet Stern, the Curator of Community Kindness at Magical Bridge Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing inclusive spaces for people of all abilities. After learning about the organization’s mission, an idea sprouted in Randall’s and Stavrakos’ minds.
“We wanted to create a space that was inclusive for everyone to play sports, and that’s why we created Magical Tennis,” Stavrakos said.
Combining their life experience of growing up playing tennis with their desire to make a difference in their community, Randall and Stavrakos aspired to organize an opportunity for people of all abilities to play tennis.
Hosting the program at Magical Bridge Playground, located in Mitchell Park, was a full-circle moment for them, according to Randall.
“Sophia and I, when we were younger, would come to this playground and experience the amazing atmosphere of seeing everyone be together,” Randall said. “We wanted to give back to the playground that had given so much to us.”
Initially, Randall and Stavrakos found it hard to keep a one-to-one ratio of coaches to children. It was hard to keep track of which coaches were coming to which session.
However, after running this program for multiple years and getting to know the coaches who repeatedly volunteer, Randall and Stavrakos have gained insights on how to pair children with coaches they think will work well together, Randall said. The program now operates seamlessly with templates containing the dates and participants’ information, Stavrakos said.
For high school students with similar ambitions to these two Los Altos High seniors, Randall and Stavrakos advise action.
“Find a friend and just do it,” Randall said. “The fear of it not going well or running into bumps can hold people back, but honestly, just do it.”
Despite Randall’s and Stavrakos’ times with Magical Tennis coming to an end, there were special moments over the years that meant a lot to them.
Randall said her favorite memory was working with a young boy who, over time, came out of his shell and became more confident both on and off the court.
Looking back on her experience running Magical Tennis, Stavrakos said she is grateful for the opportunities that the program provides and feels very appreciative to be able to help others. Randall expressed similar sentiments.
“Inclusivity is something that you don’t truly see the power of until you experience it,” Randall said. “Even if we get to help these kids feel one percent more accepted and loved in their communities, it shapes me so much. All the work we do, it’s so worth it.”
