Why I Stepped Away From U of T Tennis Club's Leadership

This past March, I did not run for the role of President of the University of Toronto Tennis Club (UTTC). Being the President of the Club was something that I cherished and I believe that the work that I and the people I worked in will be looked upon fondly for future generations to come.

Thoughts on Why I’m Leaving #

As the President of the Club, I wrote an outgoing End-Of-Year Statement to the Membership. This letter can be found at the bottom of the page. I also have a few personal thoughts that I didn’t write which I’ve included below.

When I first joined the Club in 2021, we were a stalling club with little impact other than a few events a year. I believed at the very beginning that we could bring weekly play to U of T and make tennis an accessible sport for the thousands of students at U of T. I had dreams and aspirations for immediate changes and areas where I thought we could make a difference. I believe we achieved our goals and even pushed the boundaries of what was possible.

Three years later, I believe those goals that I set out were achieved and those goals that I weren’t able to achieve will be carried forward by a new generation of leaders at the Club. Last year, we eclipsed 200 members for the first time in our history, an increase of 1000% percent from the year I joined (20 to 200). We made year-round, weekly tennis for all levels the standard, and received the highest funding allocations in our Club’s history. We created partnerships with local tennis clubs, other university entities, and extended connections to University clubs across Ontario. We created a culture which we had never seen and a program developed thanks to hundreds of hours of volunteer work from dozens of people.

A Changing Vision #

At the end of the day, the work that we do can’t go on forever. Leaders can’t keep leading a ship without admitting that the direction may not be the right one. We need breaks and new ideas to sail our ship to Paris instead of New York. We need new blood to inspire our crew, recruit new members, and bring new efficiency gains and ideas to the spotlight. As I sailed the ship, I questioned whether we were sailing in the right direction, whether we had the right crew, and whether we had the right resources to get there. And once we got there I didn’t know and still don’t know what counts as the finish line. There’s always going to be projects we can do embark to improve the club, same as there will be for every organization in the world. Therefore, I thought it’s appropriate to give way to new ideas and new leadership. I am a believer in giving opportunities for everyone to gain knowledge, explore their passions, and develop into better humans. Nobody’s born a leader, we need to be given the opportunities to succeed. I believe that our new leadership team, although new, with the right supports, will succeed.

New Leadership #

This upcoming year, UTTC will be led by Koji, Aditya, and Ezra. I will be helping in more of an advisatory role. This will be an exciting year and I hope everyone joins me in cheering them on.

Finally, I would like to thank the many Executives who I’ve worked with over the past few years. In particular, Angel Sun, Adimchi Atisele, Josh Grief, Takeshi Yamaguchi, Christina Lin, Khang Nguyen, Hymn Ka, Aditya Rao and many more who have been part of the leadership of the Club and who we wouldn’t have done it without.

Full Letter #

To read the letter, download it here.

The 2023 Canadian University Tennis Club Championships