By Karen Ronney
Each afternoon, 12-year-old Denise Campbell faced the same challenge—finding a coach and a place to play tennis. Growing up in Riverside, Denise practiced wherever she could, hitting with family and friends on local courts. Her talent was undeniable. But when the 5 foot 9-inch left-hander needed the next level of training, opportunity felt just out of reach.
That’s when the Southern California Tennis Association Foundation stepped in. Through scholarships and grants, the SCTA Foundation connected Denise to the high-performance pathway—providing coaching, tournament entry fees, equipment, and training opportunities. For Denise and her single-parent family, it was exactly the support they needed to help her pursue both her athletic and academic dreams.
“Denise displayed potential and determination right from the start,” said Linda Milan, the Executive Director for the SCTA Foundation. “Her game improved quickly and she reached the top ranks of high school tennis. She continued on that same path in college. We are so proud of her success and wish her the best.”
Denise made the most of her tennis opportunities. She became the No. 1 player at John W. North High School and earned three-time Team MVP honors. During her senior year, she went undefeated in league play and captured the singles championship.
She continued her success at Riverside City College (RCC) and led the women’s team to its No. 3 ITA Collegiate Tennis Ranking in 2023. Along the way she earned All-Conference Doubles Honors, Doubles Team of the Year, and was named an Academic All-American.
Denise’s story is powerful—but it is not unique and it doesn’t end with tennis. Today, she is finishing her degree at RCC and has enlisted in the Naval Reserves. She is pursuing a certificate in automotive repair, she is headed to the Navy for an assignment in underwater mine management.
‘I chose this position,” Campbell said. “They gave me a few different options but this sounded like something I’d be interested in doing. My job will be to figure out how to locate mines and then disassemble them to keep us safe.”
Campbell said boot camp was very difficult with mandatory early mornings and a lot of hard work. It taught her discipline, responsibility and the importance of following rules, but she was ready for the challenge. It taught her discipline, responsibility and the importance of following rules, but she was ready for the challenge.
“Tennis discipline is your choice and you can challenge yourself to learn tennis skills,” she said. “Military discipline is a lot harder and rougher. There are more things you have to do that are not your choice. It is mentally and physically more demanding.”
Campbell learned being in the military is like being on a different type of team. “I’ve learned about responsibility. People are counting on you to do your job and you can’t let them down. It’s similar to tennis in that way, but it can be a life or death situation. I’m not on active duty now, but when I go I will be ready for it. As a reservist, my group would be one of the first to be deployed.”
“Tennis discipline is your choice and you can challenge yourself to learn tennis skills,” she said. “Military discipline is a lot harder and rougher. There are more things you have to do that are not your choice. It is mentally and physically more demanding.”
This life path would not have been possible without previous success on the tennis court.
“I am so grateful to the SCTA Foundation for all of the scholarships they gave me through the years,” Campbell said. “Because I got the help when I needed it, tennis taught me to work hard and stay in shape. It has given me an education and prepared me for the military. I would not have been able to do as well without it.” 
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About the Southern California Tennis Association Foundation:
We are a 501c3 nonprofit organization and is the charitable arm of USTA Southern California. The Foundation’s mission is to “Change lives and build communities through tennis.” Since 2020, the SCTA Foundation has had a community impact of giving over $1million in tennis grants and tennis scholarships to deserving youth, adults, tennis organizations, tennis facilities and tennis programs to make tennis an equal opportunity sport, accessible to all, regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, or economic background. Visit us on Social Media on Instagram and Facebook. To learn more about the SCTA Foundation go to: www.sctafoundation.org. To donate go to: sctafoundation.org/donate/.
