How The Project Started

Dominic Modise

My name is Dominic Modise. I have been a college coach for 10 years. I have coached some of the top college programs in the country. I grew up in Mmabatho, South Africa and my parents were not well-off. During the Apartheid era life was not easy, to say the least.  I remember playing tennis until my toes were out. My friends and I used to cut a bicycle tire to patch our shoes. It was a way of life for us. We played with dead balls. The only time we ever used new balls was when we played in a tournament. Sometimes we had to take break from playing because we couldn’t afford strings. But, this didn’t stop us from dreaming and aiming higher. I always dreamed of becoming a professional tennis player and/or playing college tennis. Some people thought I was crazy but I followed my instinct and dreams. I remembered when I came to America on a tennis scholarship, it was surreal for me.  I couldn’t believe that it was happening to me. I have always dreamed of playing college tennis and making the best of my life. Tennis has done a lot for me and has opened doors I didn’t even know were there.  I was able to earn a Bachelors Degree in Marketing from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Masters Degree in Human Performance from the University of New Orleans. It exposed me to great things and helped me to realize that anything is possible. I do believe it is time for me to give back. I have helped a lot of kids to come to the United States on tennis scholarships, but there are kids who still need help to improve their lives.

I do believe that you can make an impact in the life of young people in Africa. Young people are faced with war, disease, poverty, and lack of opportunities. You can make a difference by donating a pair of shoes. It doesn’t have to be a new pair but any pair can help.  If you have old tennis balls or old tennis racquets we will highly appreciate the donation.  I urge you to look in your closet at the shoes you don’t wear anymore or think about all of the dead balls that you throw out.  These simple donations can help brighten children’s day in South Africa.

It is time to make change and make an impact in the lives of young African kids.