Juan Ramirez started playing tennis at the suggestion of his doctor as a means to lead him towards a more physical and active lifestyle. Twelve years after he first picked up a racquet, Ramirez has been a long-time captain of an adult leagues team, and with years of success and friendships built through the sport, Ramirez is finding it hard to take off his captains hat and put the racquet down.

Ramirez’s introduction to the sport came due to some health problems twelve years ago, being 25 pounds heavier and with high cholesterol. Ramirez needed a sport that he could play for the rest of his life, and the answer was tennis. Having played baseball when he was younger, and at that time playing golf, Ramirez knew that neither of those sports fit the bill as being lifelong sports that would get him moving around like tennis would. “I signed up for a local community class for beginners,” recalled Ramirez. “And it was kind of fun. Saturday mornings, getting up and going and playing with other beginners. I wasn’t very good, but I was having fun. And I was aggressive, I just tried to poach everything!”

This aggression on the court and his enthusiasm caught some eyes, and Ramirez was asked to join a USTA Leagues team, the same one that he would one day become captain of. The team that Ramirez joined had been around since 2006 and having started with just three players, it had the long running name of “The Racketeers.” Three years into being part of the team, Ramirez was asked to be captain and he jumped at the opportunity. “I really was having fun with tennis at that point,” said Ramirez. “My first year, we went to nationals, and the thing was, success breeds success. People wanted to join my team, and I’ve been doing it ever since then.”

Successful is indeed one way to describe his stint as captain of The Racketeers, having been to USTA League National Championships 9 times, and to sectionals 28 times. This continued excellence combined with Ramirez’s stellar reputation as a captain and a person, makes it no surprise that his team is in such high demand. Ramirez and The Racketeers are continuing to enjoy success, having just won adult league sectionals in the 7.0 division for 40 & Over mixed competition. Ramirez will be going to nationals again in late October, further increasing the legacy of his team.

Despite all his recent accolades. Ramirez himself looks back to his first year, before being captain as some of his most enjoyable times because of his freshman joy, saying “That first year, the enthusiasm of learning new things, and on top of that I made a lot of good friends that first year and they’re still my friends today. I think that’s probably my best memory.”

Despite the level of success that Ramirez has achieved with his teams, he is certain that the real pull of the sport is in the relationships he has built. “The friendship is actually what’s kept me in it for that long,” explained Ramirez. “I don’t think I’d be just doing it for the heck of it.” Being eight years into his stint as captain, Ramirez is actually trying to step away but is having a hard time getting the move done. “I want to step away, but people give me players. I have a hard time saying no. It’s tough to go,” he said.

Aside from being captain and building relationships, Ramirez is proud to represent Hispanic culture in tennis, and hopes to see more representation in the sport. Ramirez hopes to see more outreach programs by tennis organizations that introduce people to tennis, especially in areas with a high Hispanic population that may not have programs like that. “You need to go to them, not wait for them to come to you,” said Ramirez. “It just takes a racket and somebody to be able to teach you. I think that’s part of the why Hispanics don’t play as much because there are no outreach programs at the local parks in those cities.” Ramirez cites the stat that only 7% of USTA players are of Hispanic heritage, a number which he believes can and must go up to increase the value of the sport.

As the USTA and the sport of tennis as a whole works to make tennis more accessible and diverse, Ramirez is a great example of the lifelong power of the sport. Despite never having played when he was younger, Ramirez has become an integral part of the tennis community in Southern California. While he may be trying to vacation more and exit his role as team captain, it is clear that his skills are highly in demand and his legacy with The Racketeers will live on forever.

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