MEET COACH LEBELO
I began playing tennis at the age of 8 in Lesotho, Africa. I was previously a swimmer but my parents couldn't afford the expenses associated with the swimming facility, so I started selling oranges on the side streets to help with the bills to afford food for the home. When my brother began playing tennis he would bring home tennis balls to sell them in our village. To me, this was brilliant. It was the perfect business plan. Because of my brother, I started playing too. We played barefoot for 3 years and our feet would tear because the hardcourt was so hot but our motivation was so much greater. I started winning small local tournaments and won myself a pair of shoes and began winning tennis clothes every now and then. At 11 I got my first real exposure when I won my first international tournament. Then at the age of 13, I was ranked in the top 4 on the continent of Africa for ages under 14. I played a bunch of international tournaments until I hit a point in my life where I couldn't continue because the sport is so expensive. I didn't want to give up on my passion, so I posted a YOUTUBE video and received offers to some of the top Division 1 schools across the globe. My biggest highlight was when I competed for Jackson State University in devision 1 level and won my FIRST TEAM ALL CONFERENCE with NCAA D1. In 2015 I was crowned as the number the 3rd best tennis player in Africa after ALL AFRICAN GAMES. Now, I am settling into my new passion... COACHING.
