For Vanessa Miller, 53, tennis began as a journey toward self-discovery. Fourteen years after picking up a racket at age 40, the Baldwin resident has transformed her passion for the sport into an opportunity for hundreds of children to learn, compete and build lasting friendships.
On Oct. 14, Miller received the Arthur Ashe Multicultural Award at the 36th annual United States Tennis Association Eastern Long Island Region awards ceremony, recognizing her dedication to expanding access to the sport through the Baldwin Police Athletic League. The ceremony was held at Sea Cliff Manor.
The award honors organizations or tennis players who embrace diversity, serve as ambassadors for tennis, demonstrate exceptional sportsmanship and share their love for the game. For Miller, the award reflects a mission that extends well beyond the court.
“This year, they gave me the Arthur Ashe Multicultural Award, and that meant a lot to me,” Miller said. “When I got it, I was like, 'Okay, I have a story to tell.'”
Miller moved to Baldwin with her family 24 years ago. A certified public accountant who spent two decades in corporate America, she eventually left to pursue a more fulfilling path.
After exploring activities such as Pilates, dancing and kickboxing, Miller discovered tennis through a Town of Hempstead program. What began as an affordable exercise routine quickly grew into a strong passion.
“When I hit 40, I wanted something for myself,” Miller said. “I needed to discover myself again. I did Pilates, I didkickboxing, and I did tennis. And when I started (tennis), I was like, ‘Oh, I really like this.’ You know, it’s got me moving.”
Sports had long been central to the Miller family. Her husband, Roger, volunteered as a track coach with Baldwin PAL, while their two daughters, Genesis and Sabra, participated in track, gymnastics, lacrosse, volleyball and cheerleading. Seeing her husband’s dedication to coaching inspired Miller to create her own opportunities to give back to the community.
“This whole giving back, wanting to do something great, it’s always been in my mind,” Miller said. “A lot of things that came together to start the program — your kids being older, loving the sport, having more time — just thinking, like, maybe this is what I was meant to do. Maybe this is God’s plan for me. I want to give back to my community. My husband has already been doing it for how many years, and it just felt like a natural thing to do.”
The opportunity arose when Miller joined the Baldwin PAL board as treasurer in 2017, serving an organization run entirely by volunteers. Listening to commissioners advocate for their respective sports while sitting at board meetings, she realized PAL was the ideal platform to introduce tennis to local youth.
With support from USTA Eastern, Miller officially launched Baldwin PAL’s tennis program in the summer of 2023. Prior to the startup, organizers held a free introductory trial that January, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to gauge community interest. The response exceeded expectations, attracting 160 registrants.
The program now serves children ages 6 to 17 at various skill levels. Baldwin PAL uses three courts — provided by Sportime in Lynbrook — for two hours each Saturday. Players progress through red, orange, green and yellow ballinstructional levels. Sessions cost $145 for eight weeks, with Sportime supplying the equipment.
Miller said the program typically attracts about 55 participants per session, with families frequently placed on waiting lists due to limited court space.
Jackee Missick, whose 8-year-old daughter, Gabi, has participated in the program for about two years, said Baldwin PAL makes a costly sport more accessible.
“It gives children access to the sport of tennis, which, if you know anything about tennis, it’s an expensive sport,” Missick said. “For a family that has multiple kids, or even if you’re like me, and you have one kid but you have a lot of obligations, a program like this is great, because it allows them not only to play tennis and learn from teachers that are on a higher level, but to get access to the best of what there is to know about tennis. Vanessa runs a really good program there.”
Missick added that the tennis court brings the community together.
“Sports is a great equalizer,” Missick said. “We can have our differences, but once we go on the court, once we go on the field, we can learn how to manage those differences through playing sport. I think the program in itself is awesome for that.”
Karen Jones, an instructor who has coached with Baldwin PAL’s tennis program since its inception, said it helps children to grow not only as athletes, but also in confidence.
“They came in not too sure of themselves, not knowing how to play the game,” Jones said. “It was just a joy to get to see them grow in the game of tennis, as well as grow in terms of their attitude towards tennis and their attitude in life.”
Jones credited Miller with introducing tennis to Baldwin PAL and expanding it from basic instruction to competitive opportunities. Most recently, Miller coached young participants in a USTA-sponsored Red Ball tournament during the U.S. Open Finals Fest, giving them an opportunity to play on courts near professional players.
Miller also has worked to expand the program’s coaching staff, creating opportunities for instructors to develop their skills while introducing more children to tennis.
Parent Hasan Chowdhury said his children, Aydin, 14, and Aliyah, 12, joined two years ago and now play for their school teams.
“My goal was to get them into a sport that kept them active and kind of out of the house and not on TV or any type of screens,” Chowdhury said. “Through PAL, they’ve grown to love tennis. I’m proud that over the course of two years, just kind of seeing them grow within the sport, from the first time they learned to pick up a racket to where they are now, the development has been great.”
As demand continues to grow, Miller said she wants to secure additional indoor court space. She recently introduced a developmental program at Baldwin Middle School, giving 13 selected players additional practice twice a week. However, the lack of indoor courts remains a hurdle during colder months.
“You have to keep practicing and playing and playing to get better,” Miller said. “I really see the program becoming bigger if we have more access to indoor courts.”
Miller said she hopes to provide structured training for players aspiring to compete at higher levels while keeping the program accessible to children of all backgrounds.
“I cherish the 20 years in corporate America, and I love it, and I have all good things to say with corporate America, but it came to the point where I wanted more," Miller said. "And that was my move to do something that I like and I appreciate. I love tennis. I love to volunteer. I love the kids.”
