On Friday, December 18th 2015 the Anguilla Tennis Academy (ATA) held a ceremony at its facility in Blowing Point to celebrate Sabrina E. Connor being awarded a full athletic scholarship from Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A. The large gathering included ATA coaches, members of the Press, her parents, ATA past and present students, friends and family. Director of the ATA, Mr. Michael Ward chaired the ceremony. Sabrina has been a student at the ATA since the age of four, and is currently enrolled in the ATA’s High Performance Academy where she receives intensive tennis training and match play throughout the day while pursuing her academic course work online.
Sabrina is a graduate of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School (ALHCS) where she was very active in athletic and academic endeavors for a variety of clubs and organizations including Maroon House, the Interact Club, and the Leeward Islands Debating Society.
As a member of the Virginia Union Panthers Women’s Tennis Team Sabrina will compete in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II. Guy Walton, Head Coach of Women’s Tennis at VUU says, “I am excited for Sabrina as she starts the next chapter in her academic and athletic career. I am looking forward to having her here. She will be a great asset to Virginia Union University and its tennis program.”
Sabrina will matriculate at Virginia Union in early January 2016 as a Communications and Public Relations major. She will also participate in the Lady Panthers training program in preparation for the upcoming Spring season. Sabrina thanked her parents for introducing her to the sport of tennis at an early age. She also thanked and attributed the realization of this great feat to the tennis coaches, gym trainers, fitness coaches, teachers, mentors, and ministers of religion, friends, and family members who played a special part in her upbringing and personal development. Special thanks was extended to Mr. Evan “Styler” Anderson for allowing her to use his gym at no cost for her strength and conditioning sessions.
Sabrina’s parents Karle and Mimi Connor wish to express their deepest gratitude – to God for this wonderful gift, to Sabrina for dedicating herself to her training, and to all who nurtured and supported her over the years. They wish to thank Mitchelle Lake, Founder and President of the Anguilla Tennis Academy, and Chris Wade, Athletic Director of T Bar M Racquet Club in Dallas, Texas for the critical part they played in her tennis development and in securing her athletic scholarship. They also extend their gratitude to Coach Michael Ward, Tennis Director of the ATA and his staff at the ATA High Performance Academy – Coaches Vallan Hodge, Denny Derrick and George Richards – for so ably directing Sabrina’s tennis training program.
Founder and President of the ATA Mr. Mitchelle Lake stated, “I extend heartfelt congratulations to Sabrina Connor on this great achievement. Her dedication to the ATA’s programs over the years is now paying off. The ATA remains committed to securing tennis athletic scholarships for the graduates of its program. Sabrina is a talented young lady both on and off the court. I have every confidence in her abilities and know that she will be an asset to the Virginia Union women’s tennis team.”
Sabrina sums it up saying, “Achieving this goal I have been working on all my life is an extraordinary experience. All the dedication and hard work, along with the support of coaches, family and fellow teammates has led to this rare privilege which affords me the opportunity to attend university as a collegiate athlete. I am extremely grateful for this blessing and I will continue to strive for excellence at Virginia Union University.”
The Anguilla Tennis Academy is a non profit organization that provides year round tennis instruction for boys and girls ages five (5) through seventeen(17). Since inception of the program in 1996 over 4,000 children have been introduced to the sport and seven graduates have received tennis scholarships to attend university in the USA. For more information visit their website at www.anguillatennis.com or e-mail at info@anguillatennis.com.
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
