The Anguilla Tennis Academy (ATA) held a special ceremony, at its facility in Blowing Point on Friday, July 27th 2018, to announce that Antoine Laurent has been awarded a tennis athletic scholarship to attend Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), Charlotte, North Carolina in August, 2018. The ceremony was chaired by Ms. Natalie Bridget Peffer, Tennis Instructor at the ATA, and supported by family, friends, local and international coaches, sponsors, ATA parents and tennis students. Antoine is the 11th ATA graduate to be awarded a tennis athletic scholarship to attend school in the USA.
Antoine Laurent joined the ATA’s program at the age of five (5). He expressed a keen interest in the sport and remained a dedicated participant in the ATA’s programs over the years. His athleticism and highly competitive nature allowed him to excel in tennis and made him one of the top junior players in the ATA’s program. Antoine volunteered his time towards helping the younger children in the program. He worked extremely hard over the years and remained dedicated to his goal of attending university on a tennis athletic scholarship.
When asked about his special achievement, Antoine commented, “I am truly grateful for the numerous opportunities the ATA presented me, over the years, and I’m certain that the experiences gained have adequately prepared me for this new chapter of my life.” He also gave some advice to the young players in the ATA program: “To the young players that attend the ATA After School Program, I hope this motivates you. Each one of you has the potential of one day being in the same position that I am in today. I want to encourage you to take advantage of the opportunities you have here, through the coaches and this institution, as what we have is world class.”
Chris Wade, Athletic Director at T Bar M, Dallas, Texas stated, “ I am so proud of Antoine for accomplishing something that so many children aspire to attain. He is deserving of the tennis scholarship and Johnson C. Smith University will quickly discover that he is a great tennis player on their roster.”
The ATA, under the leadership of Mitch Lake, has provided student graduates with opportunities to pursue higher education. This is the 11th scholarship awarded to graduates of the program. Since Mr. Lake introduced the tennis athletic scholarship program, for graduates to attend University, he has worked closely with Mr. Chris Wade, Athletic Director of T Bar M, to provide more than US$1 million in scholarship aid to ATA students to attend University on a four (4) year program.
Mitchelle Lake, the Founder and CEO of the ATA, affirms that: “Antoine is a competitive tennis player who possesses great athletic skills and ability. I am confident that once he demonstrates commitment, a strong work ethic and discipline, he will play a tremendous role on the Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls tennis team.” Lake further commented, “This success story, and others, should also be embraced and celebrated by our local sponsors. It is their dedicated support to the ATA organization that has made it possible to realize these great accomplishments.”
Mr. and Mrs. Allan Laurent, Antoine parents, thanked the ATA and local coaching staff for their commitment to Antoine over the many years. They also thanked Coach Chris Wade, Glen Agritelley and Coach Jason Allen of the USA for their efforts with Antoine. Special thanks was also extended to Miss Severine Pradel and Mr. Michael “Dumpa” Martin for their musical selections during the ceremony.
Head Coach of Johnson C. Smith University, Mr. Timothy Hunter, stated, “We are very excited to have a player with Antoine’s caliber join JCSU tennis team. We feel Antoine will be a leader on and off the court. A player with Antoine’s skills will help us get back to the level of recognition and standards that Smith is known for. Thank you for wanting to be a part of JCSU, and now it’s time to start winning.”
The Anguilla Tennis Academy (ATA) is a nonprofit organization established under the laws of Anguilla. For the past twenty-three (23) years, the ATA has been introducing tennis to the island of Anguilla as well as other surrounding countries. The Anguilla Tennis Academy is dedicated to providing the highest quality tennis instruction to Anguillian, Caribbean and International youth in a competitive environment while encouraging exemplary sportsmanship. Since inception in 1996, more than 4000 children have benefitted from its programs. Parents are encouraged to enroll their children in its After School Program.
