Even though they come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, members of the Kent-Meridian High School girls tennis team are more than just teammates — they are like family.
“We trust each other and love each other,” said Gloria Nankya, a junior from Uganda. “This is like a family to me because we all enjoy the same thing and we are having fun knowing each other.”
Many of the 40 girls on the team were born outside of the United States or have parents that were. Combined, the team speaks 24 languages. The team’s diversity reflects the overall diversity at Kent-Meridian, which boasts students from more than 115 countries, speaking more than 70 languages.
“We really pride ourselves in that even though they come from all over the world, all walks of life when we are the on court we are just one big tennis family,” said Maryann Thorp, who is in her second year as Kent-Meridian’s coach.
On the court, the diversity fades.
“You don’t really see them from where they come from,” Thorp said. “They are tennis players. They are kind of like my kids.”
From Africa to America
Nankya moved to the United States five years ago and recently became an American citizen. Her father worked in the U.S. for three years before Nankya, her mother and siblings joined him.
“Some people he worked with asked whether he had kids,” she said. “They asked him if they (his children) could come over here, so they paid everything for us and they brought us here.”
Nankya said she experienced culture shock when she first arrived.
“The first time I came here I was sort of scared because everyone was different,” she said. “I had short hair so everyone took me as a boy and that was hurting a little bit. Everything changed once I started talking to other people and I stopped being shy. When I got out, more people started coming to me and talking to me.”
A couple of years ago, Nankya started playing tennis.
“My dad told me I should join a sport or do something,” she said. “Most of the time my dad encourages us to watch sports on TV, so I saw tennis and it was really fun.”
Nankya met teammate Queen Lisa Gisage, a sophomore born in Congo, through mutual friends and the school’s African Youth Club. Nankya encouraged Gisage to try out for tennis.
Gisage said she and Nankya are more than friends.
“We are like sisters,” she said. “They (classmates) call us twins. When we are walking around school everyone calls to her thinking it is me.”
Gisage and her family left war-torn Congo for Kenya, where they lived for several years before moving to the U.S. three years ago.
Gisage said she enjoys the tennis team’s diversity. The team hosted a potluck earlier this season and the girls brought dishes that represented their cultures.
“In Africa we don’t have a lot of white people, so when I see the diversity of everyone here and the different languages and the way they interact with each other when we have the events for the team and we get to know each other, it is so much more fun,” Gisage said.
The camaraderie on the team also appeals to Gisage.
“In my family we all have different sports we play,” she said. “At home,everybody is so different and we are trying to compete against each other but here we take each other and teach others this sport and the right way to do it.”
Cousins from Russia share love of tennis
Songul Gafurova, a senior, and her cousin, Samira Pashayeva, moved with their families to the U.S. 10 years ago.
They are Turkish but were born and lived in Russia until they were forced to leave in 2007.
“They (Russian government) didn’t want us there,” Gafurova said.
The family was given the option of relocating to France or the U.S. and lived in Vermont for five years before coming to Kent.
Moving to a new country was difficult but having family support made it easier.
“If we were alone it would have been harder,” Gafurova said.
The cousins used to play baseball but picked up tennis a few years ago after seeing people play at courts near the baseball fields.
“Some guy showed us how to play,” Gafurova said.
She said she enjoys the competition of the sport.
“Tennis is really welcoming,” she said. “You feel like you are a part of something.”
Meeting people from all over the world on the team has been an added bonus.
“It’s nice how everyone appreciates it; no one discriminates,” Gafurova said.
Benefit
The Kent-Meridian girls tennis team host a pancake breakfast fundraiser from 8-10 a.m. on Saturday, April 16, at the Kent Applebee’s, 25442 104th Ave. SE.
The cost is $10 and tickets can be purchased at the door. Team members will serve the food and money raised will be used to purchase equipment, such as uniforms and rackets, and cover other expenses, such as bus costs.
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BELOW: Cousins Samira Pashayeva, left, and Songul Gafurova moved to the U.S. from Russia 10 years ago. The duo now plays on Kent-Meridian’s tennis team. Image Credit: Heidi Sanders, Kent Reporter
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