Not every child is born with a natural talent for sports...But being part of a team can do wonders for their self-esteem.
Tonight in our family first segment...We show you how an area tennis coach is making a difference for local students one serve at a time.
It wasn't until she was 16 that Marianella Padron realized she had a talent for the game of tennis.
"I did most of my training at home in Venezuela. I was a top ten player and came to the states and played college division one."
But Marianella's love for the sport and natural talent has done more than just make her a great player.
"When i came here to the states i saw opportunities to go to school and get an education. I used my tennis to get my three bachelors degrees that I have."
Marianella is now the Executive Director of tennis at Millennium Tennis Club in Joplin.
And as a tennis coach, Marianella says she is able to help her own students set goals for the future.
"Tennis will force you to manage your time. Instead of watching T.V. or playing video games..they can come here and do sports. Tennis is an individual game and teaches kids how to handle situations on the court that they'll need to know when they're older."
General Manager Brad Bigando says he couldn't agree more.
"We live in a society where people are busy and don't have a lot of time for family and that's one good thing that all generations can have in common is exercise together and do things as a family."
And being part of Millennium Tennis Club allows them to promote the importance of family time.
That's why Brad says Marianella is a perfect fit for the club.
"The game is not just a job or a game to her. It's life for her and she gets that to the kids and staff. It's her enthusiasm that she brings to the club."
Marianella also enjoys collecting tennis rackets. In 15 years she has collected more than 2-thousand rackets.
She hopes to have a tennis museum someday where she can display all of them. Just one more goal she is determined to achieve.