Meet Asa Kestner, who’s been playing tennis since he was barely kindergarten age, according to his dad James Kestner, who wants to share the news about the big opportunity Asa’s in the middle of right now:
Asa Kestner, a 7th grader at Madison Middle School, was selected to be a member of the ball crew at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA. The BNP Paribas Open is one of the biggest professional tennis tournaments in the world. The tournament runs from March 6-19, 2023. The event features the top male and female players from across the globe.
To join the ball crew, Asa had to complete both online and in-person training. After finishing the online course, Asa attended two training sessions in Edmonds in December and January before being assessed as tournament ready. Asa loves tennis and is excited for the opportunity to be on the court with some of the top players in the world.
Matches from the BNP Paribas Open are being broadcast daily by The Tennis Channel.
Right now, James says, his son is scheduled to work matches through Wednesday (March 15th), though there’s a chance that could extend into the tournament’s final days. He adds, “Being on the ball crew allows him to witness firsthand the many roles people play in hosting a tournament of this scale, from the players, their coaches, and trainers, to the umpires and other officials running the show. Some of his fellow ball crew teammates are current college-level players, so he’s had the opportunity to learn from them about playing college tennis, too.” Though Asa plays at courts around West Seattle, his dad says he’s been taking lessons at the Boeing Employees Tennis Club in Kent, where the family has a membership.
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