South Jersey Tennis: The Brianna Brown Story Monday, March 18, 2002 By Sanipa Koetsawasdi SJSports Staff Writer Eleven year old Brianna Brown is well on her way to proving that she is made of the same kind of grit and determination as the likes of Michael Jordan or John Daly. Her game is tennis. She's proof that anyone can accomplish anything with hard work and doing what you love. She exhibits the work ethics of a true professional. When a young player gets involved with a sport that they truly love and understand, the possibilities are endless. Brown is definitely one to look out for in the tennis world. You can tell how serious she takes the game by watching her practice on the court. Brown started playing tennis with the support and encouragement of her father Leroy. At the age of 3, when asked how she started playing tennis, Brown simply stated, "My Dad just put a racquet in my hand and I started playing". From that moment when she started to play tennis, she was a natural. Brown routinely practices playing tennis with her mom, dad, and strength and conditioning coach Graig White. To help her with her game strategy, Mike Perrone and Rick Hoffman of the Cherry Hill Racquet Club have also been by her side to coach her. Brown also enjoys running track to keep fit. She runs everyday in school during gym class. Last year, Brown was able to win 2 out of 5 tournaments. Her upcoming tournaments for 2002 include: March 8-10th Riverside Winter G12 Classic Bala Cynwyd, PA March 22-24th Cherry Hill Junior Open Cherry Hill, NJ May 7-11th Mt. Laurel Spring Champs I Mt Laurel, NJ June 14-16th Princeton Jr. Clay Courts Princeton, NJ June 24-28th Moorestown Junior Open Moorestown, NJ July 12-14th South Jersey Tennis Open/Franklin Scott Classic Willingboro, NJ July 22-26th Philadelphia Cricket Club Championships Philadelphia, PA Her inspiration and role model is Serena Williams. "I like her attitude on the court", said Brown. Brianna sees herself playing on the tennis team at Bishop Eustace in her near future. She also wants to attend college and perhaps play tennis professionally. Her parents have supported her all the way, providing the necessary equipment, transportation and most important, as Brown states, "They encourage me to have fun and be the best I can be". Photos by Art Redd

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