Racket + Hope Founder

Mary Ubah

“Sport has literally changed my life. I’m here because of sport. It has given me a lot of confidence, a lot of courage, and a lot of discipline. It’s helped me to be the person that I’ve grown to be today.” — Serena Williams

Mary Ubah, an educator and mother of three children, started playing tennis at the age of 40. Inspired by watching the Williams’ sisters playing on television, Ubah decided to take her children to receive lessons at the local park. When refused by certain professionals who either didn’t take Ubah seriously or charged higher fees, she decided to learn and teach them herself.

Ubah, who has a degree in Psychology from Roehampton University , found her natural calling on the court: she could inspire children to work harder at the fundamentals of tennis by making them fun. Ubah went for her LTA Level 1 Assistant qualification and started volunteering at her local parks. She attained her Level 2 Instructor and Level 3 Tennis Coach qualifications shortly thereafter, bought a few buckets of balls and started teaching local children when the courts were otherwise empty. Out of this tenacity, Racket + Hope Academy was born.

Twelve years ago, when certain London boroughs converted parks to community use, Ubah made her academy a daily, after-school activity for all children who want to learn the game of tennis, especially underprivileged children. During the school year, Ubah and a group of hand-picked volunteers teach beginning and intermediate players and runs summer camps during breaks. Ubah spends herf ree time, looking for opportunities for children who have aged- or “abilitied”-out of Racket + Hope, teaches her 10-year-old granddaughter and plays in LTA Local Tennis Leagues.