Lehigh Valley Division I athlete puts law school dreams on hold to coach youth tennis in Philadelphia

By Aziza Shuler

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    PHILADELPHIA (KDKA) — A Lehigh Valley Division I athlete put his dreams of attending law school on hold. He’s now dedicating his future to teaching youth tennis in Philadelphia.

“Attitude, character, as well as effort,” Gabe Knowles, a tennis coach at Legacy Youth Tennis, said. “All of those aspects will control how you do in life.”

These are the lessons Knowles strives to instill in the young athletes he coaches at Legacy Youth Tennis — a program dedicated to making the sport more inclusive and accessible to kids in Philly.

“There’s a lot of athletes in Philadelphia, but when they pick up a tennis racket, things change,” Knowles said.

Knowles first picked up a tennis racket at just 4 years old. But it was during high school that the sport became life-changing.

“My high school wasn’t diverse,” Knowles said. “It was really racist, actually. So tennis became my outlet where I was accepted.”

Knowles continued his journey at Howard University, playing on the men’s varsity team. After graduating this past spring, Knowles chose to put law school on hold and fully commit to coaching.

“Seeing kids progress and seeing the happiness they have on their faces, that’s where I feel like I can go home and sleep well at night,” Knowles said.

Knowles has spent much of his summer on the tennis courts in East Falls coaching dozens of local kids, including his three younger siblings who play the sport as well.

“It is a way we as a family connect,” Knowles said.

This week, Knowles and 12 of his students are competing in the American Tennis Association National Championships in Florida.

It’s the oldest African American tennis tournament in the United States, where legends like Arthur Ashe, Althea Gibson and rising star Coco Gauff have made their mark.

“We want to educate these kids on the people who allowed us to be able to play in tournaments,” Knowles said. “But also it’s a fun trip, these kids really want to be able to travel and play tennis.”

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