“Tennis changed the course of my life” – Vyshnave Sivasankar

The next is one in every of a number of spotlights being printed by Tennis Canada this month as a part of its Victory can be HERS fundraising marketing campaign. They inform the tales of 5 ladies for whom tennis has performed a significant position and contributed in direction of victories of their private {and professional} lives. Be a part of the motion and take motion.

The inspirational story of Vyshnave Sivasankar begins 30 years in the past, in war-torn Sri Lanka. Her dad and mom left behind a lifetime of worry and uncertainty to hunt refuge in Canada. Little did they know, their braveness and dedication to start out over would lay the muse for a future stuffed with hope and success by way of tennis for his or her daughter.

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They made their technique to Toronto, Ontario and, only a few years later, introduced Vyshnave into the world. It’s right here, within the underserved Jane-Finch space to the northwest of the downtown core, that Vyshnave discovered a group that welcomed her like no different – one which supplied her with engagement, an outlet and, finally, a house.

Whereas her mother labored in a manufacturing facility, and her dad at eating places – over time, grinding his means up from dishwasher to cook dinner – Vyshnave would attend numerous packages, principally sport associated. That included soccer and swimming, however there was a transparent frontrunner in her thoughts – and that was tennis.

“I grew up in Jane-Finch space, collaborating in lots of totally different packages, together with the tennis program on the Jane-Finch Neighborhood Tennis Affiliation. And that’s the place I used to be launched to tennis as a summer season sport. I used to be doing lots of different issues on the time. My dad and mom would put me in any free program. So, it began off as one thing I used to be doing for enjoyable, however I actually favored the coaches and the grownup leaders we had on the time. They made me really feel so welcome, otherwise. I didn’t really feel like I used to be going for a tennis lesson, I felt like I used to be a part of a group for the primary time.”

– Vyshnave Sivasankar

The Jane-Finch Neighborhood Tennis Affiliation (JFCTA) was initially launched by Tennis Canada in 2006 as a group initiative to supply alternatives and entry to tennis for residents of Jane-Finch. Annually, Tennis Canada offers this system with a grant, in addition to workplace house and discounted courtroom time at Sobeys Stadium. Since her first experiences with the group, Vyshnave’s ardour for tennis has solely grown stronger, as has her sense of belonging and need to provide again. Over time, she developed from a participant, to attempting her hand at teaching and now she is their Program Coordinator, having the accountability of overseeing their ladies and ladies programming.

“Once I began taking part in tennis, I wasn’t excellent however I actually needed to be. So, to have that group and that dedication to be good at one thing, it actually motivated me to work, turn into a volunteer, turn into an assistant coach, turn into a head coach. I labored with the group, with my coaches to construct my abilities and that led me to realize my targets. The yr earlier than final, I began working as Program Coordinator. Once I began, it’s not one thing I believed I might do.”

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Vyshnave’s urge for food for tennis is matched solely by her insatiable curiosity for studying. From 2016 to 2020, she earned a Bachelor of Science diploma from the College of Toronto in Human Biology, Atmosphere and Well being. After hours on finish spent learning in labs and writing papers, she concluded that science was not the trail for her. As a substitute, she had a sudden realization that her true ardour lies within the work she had been doing with the JFCTA.

“That was a turning level,” she defined. “I began to focus extra on working with Jane-Finch Tennis and different non-profits and doing analysis for them, totally different research on what they’d like to alter or enhance on to make sure outcomes. So, that’s after I seemed into Masters packages associated to that. And now, I’m nonetheless on the College of Toronto doing my Masters in Grownup Schooling and Neighborhood Growth. So, for me, working at this group and seeing how non-profits work, I wish to give again. Tennis and the Jane-Finch program is why I really feel that means. It positively modified the course of my life.”

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Since she switched the main focus of her research, Vyshnave has had the chance to work with a number of non-profits on analysis tasks that are near her coronary heart. By way of her connections at JFCTA, she secured an internship with the MLSE Basis final yr. There, she labored intently on their “Change the Sport” mission, which is geared toward understanding sport and play-related entry, engagement, and fairness points throughout Ontario.

“They needed to evaluate how entry and boundaries to sport had modified from COVID to final yr. I helped execute their survey, labored with knowledge and analyzed the outcomes from the three years.”

By way of JFCTA’s relationship with Tennis Canada, Vyshnave has additionally been an attendee on the annual UNMATCHED: Gender Fairness in Sports activities Convention annually since its inception. This August, she had the chance to fulfill keynote speaker, former world No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Venus Williams. It’s these experiences by way of tennis that actually encourage Vyshanave to be the chief she has turn into for ladies and ladies in her personal group.

Picture: Melissa Di Pasquale/Tennis Canada

“I simply really feel like, there are all these folks doing all these items so, why can’t I be somebody like that? It’s very inspiring for our coaches and individuals as nicely. It’s exhausting to search out the phrases to explain the [UNMATCHED] convention. I met Venus – I might by no means have thought I might say that.”

Together with your assist, ladies like Vyshnave can proceed to entry life-changing packages that open doorways to mentorship, training, and management alternatives. Each greenback counts in breaking down boundaries and making certain that Victory can be HERS.