By Karen Ronney
For Sofia Vongsouvanh tennis is more than a sport. It is about connecting with people and building friendships. Her drive to help, give back to her community and understand others are just a few of the reasons the senior from Patrick Henry High School was honored to receive the Youth Leadership Council (YLC) Award by the United States Tennis Association Southern California Section. The event was enjoyed by approximately 80 attendees recently at the Shade Hotel in Redondo Beach. Prubgeet Singh was also a recipient of this award.
“I’m new to the YLC and I was really surprised they picked me,” said Vongsouvanh. “This was the first time I’ve been to an important event like this, and it was really fancy. It was fun to dress to impress and step into the role of being a young business professional.”
Vongsouvanh’s tennis experience is well-rounded. The 17-year-old picked up a racket in middle school to exercise during COVID. She enjoyed learning the game through lessons and clinics.
“It gave me a reason to go outside and be with friends and just connect with others when the world was shutting down,” Vongsouvanh said. “After playing, I felt so good that I just wanted to keep going.
She joined the Patrick Henry High (PHHS) junior varsity team and made huge strides. She then moved up to varsity to help the Patriots earn the No. 8 ranking in the CIF San Diego Section. Her skills, kindness, compassion and desire to help others made her the perfect choice to be voted team captain for three years. She is graduating this May and is currently applying to colleges.
“Sofia did a great job of organizing the team in every way,” said PHHS Coach Kaitlin Wilson-Stenzel. “She is a natural leader. She is extremely responsible and a great communicator. She always let me know what was happening with the team from a peer level. She is also very kind and wise beyond her years.”
Last fall, Vongsouvanh received a scholarship from the Southern California Tennis Association Foundation to attend the 2024 Women & Girls Who Ace Summit in San Diego at the Bahia Resort Hotel. It was designed to inspire high school tennis players to develop leadership skills, network and empower them to become community advocates.
“Giving junior players like Sofia a chance to be a part of leadership training events like Women & Girls Who Ace is what we are all about,” said Linda Milan, the SCTA Foundation Executive Director. “In this case, it was a steppingstone for her to make an even greater impact and become an advocate for change in Southern California. We are so proud of her.”
It was at a Women & Girls Who Ace session that Vongsouvanh learned about the Youth Leadership Council from USTA SoCal organizer Sammie Xiao.
“I liked Sammie’s presentation because she was enthusiastic about the YLC and its mission,” Vongsouvanh said. “Then I went home and read about it and liked that they helped underserved communities. So I took a chance and signed up.”
Said Xiao at the Awards Dinner: “Sofia’s dedication and leadership has been key to YLC’s success this past term. She is passionate about providing fun and engaging tennis experiences for underrepresented communities in SoCal. You can find her traveling all the way from San Diego to work all day at our community events.”
Helping those in need is not new to Vongsouvanh. Her mother, Carmen, is of Hispanic heritage and is an elementary school teacher in City Heights, San Diego. She works at a Title1 site with low-income students who have diverse and often challenging backgrounds. Sofia has been a volunteer for many elementary events.
“My mom comes home with stories about kids’ lives that are truly heartbreaking,” Sofia said. “Hearing how these kids struggle makes me want to choose a career that helps people in the nonprofit world.”
There are 27 members on the Youth Leadership Council who volunteer from throughout Southern California. The teens plan and work at community celebrations, tennis trainings and wheelchair events. The YLC’s mission is to empower junior tennis players to become leaders and amplify their impact on issues about which they are passionate. It is a youth led organization with support from the USTA SoCal section.
To date, Vongsouvanh has participated in three YLC events, and she said her favorite was the USTA SoCal Hispanic Heritage Day last September at the Cal State LA Tennis Complex. It was a free community celebration that included tennis, a Kid’s Zone, mindfulness, fitness activities, music, food, prizes, LA Dodger swag, inspiring guest speakers and more.
“I am part Mexican and there was a big emphasis on celebrating our culture with music, food, fun and tennis,” said Vongsouvanh, a native Spanish speaker who earned the California State Seal of Bi-Literacy at PHHS. “I used my Spanish at the sign-in desk, set up decorations, helped with the raffle and gave out free meals. I also rallied with adults and fed balls to the kids. It was cool to be a part of this. It gave me a sense of purpose.”
Vongsouvanh’s college and career plans include following a STEM pathway and eventually working in the nonprofit world.
“The best part of being on the YLC is meeting people who are passionate about their work,” she said. “They inspire me to do more because it matters. Doing something that seems small to me actually makes a huge impact on kids. Maybe learning to play tennis or getting help in school helps them feel better about themselves. That translates into self-confidence which could be the thing that changes their lives.” 
To apply for Southern California Tennis Association Foundation scholarships and grants CLICK HERE. To learn more about the USTA SoCal Youth Leadership Council, CLICK HERE.
With Gratitude- Photo Credit: Sofia Vongsouvanh, Karen Ronney, Instagram @ustasocal_YLC, @ustasocal
About the Southern California Tennis Association Foundation:
We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization and is the charitable arm of USTA Southern California. The Foundation’s mission is to “Change lives and build communities through tennis.” Since 2020, the SCTA Foundation has had a community impact of giving over $1million in tennis grants and tennis scholarships to deserving youth, adults, tennis organizations, tennis facilities and tennis programs to make tennis an equal opportunity sport, accessible to all, regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, or economic background. Visit us on Social Media on Instagram and Facebook. To learn more about the SCTA Foundation go to: www.sctafoundation.org. To donate go to: sctafoundation.org/donate/.
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