At Up2Us Sports, we take pride in celebrating our coaches and their impact on and off the playing field. Our coaches have their own unique stories that inspire us all and our Coaches’ Corner gives us a chance to showcase just that.

Meet Jayanne Perkins and Laura Manuela Morales. Both coaches will be graduating from the University of Connecticut this Spring and they both serve alongside each other as Up2Us Sports coaches at Grassroots Tennis & Education in Norwalk, CT. 

Give a brief introduction of yourself. 

Jayanne: I am currently a student at the University of Connecticut studying Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences. I am a resident of Stamford, CT and a coach for Grassroots Tennis & Education in Norwalk.

Laura: My name is Laura Manuela Morales, I was born and raised in Stamford Connecticut, and I am a proud first generation senior attending the University of Connecticut. I am currently pursuing a future career in Pediatric Audiology and this year will be my last year as an undergraduate student.

What do you plan to do with your major after completing your degree? How does your work with Up2Us Sports connect with the work you plan on doing?

Jayanne: I plan to continue my education pursuing my Master’s degree to become a Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) with later intentions to pursue a PHD. Involvement in Up2Us Sports, has allowed me to develop skills essential for reaching out to different populations and catering to different learning styles. Similar to the field I plan to pursue, a SLP has to know how to assist the clients according to their personal needs. As a Youth Development Specialist, I’ve had the opportunity to practice my coaching skills in the domains of college readiness, promoting awareness to their personal identities, as well as building their socio-emotional health from interpersonal relationships these past few months.

Laura: I plan on taking a gap year after graduation where I will gain experience working with children through programs, such as Up2Us Sports, and hopefully an internship at a clinic, hospital, or school. Up2Us Sports has given me the opportunity to work with kids and learn how to effectively be there for them as support. This is a very important part of my future career as one of the biggest parts of being an Audiologist is knowing how to effectively counsel your patients and their families.

What/who motivated you to start coaching and working with youth? 

Jayanne: My passion for being involved in tennis comes from my previous engagement learning Tennis with 100 Black Men of Stamford. This position at Grassroots was something I was passionate about applying for from the beginning because I am passionate about working closely with my community, especially on the basis of college readiness.

Laura: The reason I started coaching was because I was looking for a job that I would genuinely enjoy, and contributing to the youth in my community definitely meets that criteria. Growing up, I didn’t really play sports, so my coaches were more on the educational side of things. In high school I stumbled upon this great program called Future Five and that is where I met many mentors and tutors who helped guide me to where I am today. Thanks to them motivating me and guiding me down the right path, I will soon be the first in my family to graduate college. I want to be that mentor/coach for the kids in my community and neighboring communities because I have gotten to witness firsthand the difference that it can make. That is why I am so proud to say that I am a part of the Grassroots Team (the “Dream Team” to be exact) because their mission, “To help youth build strength of character and a foundation for success on the tennis court, in the classroom and in life” is a mission that I 100% want to be a part of. When I was younger I definitely knew that I wanted to do something that would contribute to someone’s life in a positive way and serving as an Up2Us coach with Grassroots is allowing me to do that. I also want to add that I am lucky enough to work alongside an amazing group of people who are just as motivated as I am to meet this objective.

Are there any lessons that you learned from coaching that you plan to use in your future work?

Jayanne: A lesson that I’ve learned from coaching is the importance of “Informal Time”. Often, working constantly on the lesson/plan for the day can be very overwhelming. Thus, I’ve found it very beneficial for students to have this space (either on Zoom or during in person), to socialize and openly discuss their feelings on certain topics. As I prepare to become an SLP, I need to remember to also listen to any rants or perspectives my clients want to share; to help build interpersonal relationships and maintain their attention.

Laura: The biggest lesson that I have learned from coaching is that I have just as much to learn from the kids as they do from me. They are my teachers. They see the world through a different lens and it's easy to lose sense of that as you get older and get exposed to so many different life experiences. The kids remind me to live in the moment, to stop being so serious, and to take a moment to genuinely enjoy life. That is one of the biggest lessons that I will definitely incorporate into my future work.

What are two random facts about you?

Jayanne: I have been involved with youth from the preschool age to a mentor for college aged peers. Ice Cream is my all time favorite treat- I can enjoy it in any season.

Laura: Some random facts about me is that I am Colombian, I am a nature and planet enthusiast, I love dancing Salsa, and I don’t have a favorite color. 

Jayanne and Laura have done some amazing work at their host site. Catch them tomorrow, Wednesday, May 31, 2021, as they moderate Episode 6 of our Young Voices Series [Register Here], and check out some more coaches in the next Coaches’ Corner.

Jayanne has been serving as Up2Us Sports coach since August 2020 and Laura has been serving since January 2021 at Grassroots Tennis & Education in Norwalk, CT thanks to support from AmeriCorps.