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Brandon Jackson (center) with his University of Minnesota Tennis On Campus Club. © |
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Brandon Jackson (center) with his University of Minnesota Tennis On Campus Club. © |
In 1997 high school freshman Brandon Jackson was sitting on his couch and came across the US Open women’s final. No. 66-ranked Venus Williams, making her US Open debut, was battling it out against world No. 1 Martina Hingis in the new Arthur Ashe Stadium. Jackson sat and watched in awe of the two top-tier athletes and immediately fell in love with tennis.
That week Jackson decided to take up the game. He has never left.
After playing four years of varsity tennis on his high school team in Ore City, Texas, Jackson moved up north to attend college at the University of Minnesota, where he became actively involved in the school’s USTA Tennis On Campus program for seven years.
Jackson will graduate with his master’s degree this spring, leaving his beloved college club tennis team behind. But that doesn’t mean he has stopped competing. In fact, he has decided to take his game to the next level by vying for a spot in the tournament he loves most—the US Open. Jackson will compete in the USTA Northern Sectional Qualifying Tournament of the US Open National Playoffs in Sartell, Minn., June 14-20.
The winners of the 16 sectional qualifiers held nationwide advance to the US Open National Playoffs – Men’s and Women’s Championships, which will be held this summer at the same venue as an Olympus US Open Series event (Atlanta for the men, Stanford, Calif., for the women). A victory there earns a wild card into the 2010 US Open Qualifying Tournament, held August 24-27 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Tennis On Campus is a coed, team-based program with regional and national championship competition. It is designed to allow those who love tennis to pursue the sport without the rigors of a varsity program, and emphasizes sportsmanship and social networking. The program is offered on more than 500 college campuses and has attracted more than 30,000 students.
Jackson, who will soon finish up his master’s program in Sports Management and Coaching, has been affiliated with the University of Minnesota USTA Tennis On Campus program his entire college career and has served as the team’s president. Under his guidance, Minnesota has become one of the premier club teams in the country, advancing to the season-ending USTA National Campus Championship every year since 2004 and placing in the Top 30 on a number of occasions. Along the way, Jackson has met Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King and collected countless memories.
“Tennis On Campus has been one of, if not the top, highlight of my college career,” says Jackson. “I have so much fun spending time with my teammates. Our team has great camaraderie and we love to meet people from other schools who share the same passion for tennis. I am really going to miss it.”
When Jackson first became involved with Tennis On Campus his freshman year, it was difficult to find even 10 players to compete. This past season, Jackson’s team of 35 sent one squad to the 64-team USTA National Campus Championship in Surprise, Ariz., and one squad to the first-ever Tennis On Campus Spring Invitational – West in Tucson, Ariz. Jackson and his doubles partner went undefeated competing in Tucson, and his team reached the final of the silver bracket. The other Minnesota squad came in fifth in the silver bracket of the USTA National Campus Championship in Surprise.
“I am always so proud of my team,” Jackson says.
Before attending the USTA National Campus Championship, Jackson logged on to USTA.com to catch up on the latest tennis news and Tennis On Campus information and read about the US Open National Playoffs.
“When I realized that I had the chance to try out for the US Open, I thought, ‘You have to be kidding me!’” Jackson says. “Tennis is my outlet and this was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to do something like this.”
Jackson immediately signed up and is ecstatic about competing in the US Open National Playoffs in June. He is even thinking of bringing some Tennis On Campus teammates to cheer him on.
Jackson says that sometimes the team breaks into their school song to rev-up their teammates, so his opponents better be ready.
For more information on Tennis On Campus, visit
TennisOnCampus.com.