In this episode, Kate Paulus shares her powerful tennis journey—from picking up a racquet in Kansas City to competing at the Division 1 level at TCU.

She opens up about the emotional toll of injuries, the mental pressure of elite tennis, and how gratitude and perspective helped her through the toughest moments.

Kate also gets candid about hot-button topics like fairness in women's sports and the value of creating safe spaces for all athletes.

This conversation is equal parts real, reflective, and inspiring.

Key topics:

• Moving from KC to South Florida to train
• Playing D1 tennis at TCU
• Injury, medical retirement, and recovery
• Mental health in junior tennis
• Pressure, comparison, and emotional burnout
• The value of life skills gained through tennis
• Advocating for fairness in women’s sports
• Her coach’s life-changing advice: “Zoom out.”

Can you teach yourself tennis and actually get good? Rogelio proves it’s possible!

In this episode, we talk about DIY tennis, engineering mindset, and using tennis as a way to meet people, grow confidence, and build community.

He shares how a little competition (with a teacher!) kept him pushing, how he stayed focused with limited support, and how tennis helped him make friends and stay grounded while studying engineering at Boston University.

Whether you’re new to tennis or a longtime player, Rogelio’s story proves that grit, curiosity, and a bit of creativity can take you far.

If you’ve ever doubted your path in sports or life, this episode is for you.

Outline of Key Points:

• Rogelio’s Start in Tennis Started playing in high school just for fun with friendsNo formal lessons, but deeply passionate about the game
• Self-Taught Journey Used YouTube videos and online researchFilmed himself to improve technique and track progressTrial and error became his coach
• High School Experience Supportive but busy coach Learned independence and accountability Motivation from friendly rivalry with a teacher
• College Life & Networking Currently studying mechanical engineering at Boston University Used tennis as a social tool to make friends and network Believes tennis helped his confidence and connection in a new environment
• Advice for Beginners & College Students Just introduce yourself—people are more open than you think Don’t wait for the perfect setup—just start

In this inspiring episode, Olivia Kim shares how she went from playing tennis just once a week in 9th grade to earning an academic scholarship to play collegiate tennis at Trinity.

After switching schools and homeschooling to pursue the sport full-time, she pushed through self-doubt, gossip, and early setbacks in a competitive tennis community.

Olivia opens up about overcoming the pressure, finding confidence, and thriving in a positive college tennis environment.

Now a psychology grad set to become a therapist for kids with autism, she reminds us that perseverance and passion can lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.

Key highlights:

• Starting tennis seriously in high school with limited experience
• Homeschooling to fully commit to tennis
• Battling discouragement and toxic tennis culture
• Landing an academic scholarship through hard work
• Thriving in a supportive college team and finding purpose beyond the sport