A true sports family

A long-time sporting family based in Subic Bay has a dream of nurturing the next great Philippine tennis sensation, using their own personal resources and connections to change the lives of a handful of deprived children.

Our story begins in California, with the newest member of this family, AJ de Leon, whose father and brother, 10 years his senior, played tennis everyday, and AJ couldn’t resist the family pastime.

“Living in Cerritos, we were right across from a park. My father had his core group that played every Wednesday and through the weekends. Naturally, I gravitated toward what my brother played. It was strictly tennis,” recalls AJ, who became a competitive junior player.

Though his brother belatedly started playing tournaments by the age of 12, being first-generation immigrants, the De Leons did not know their way around the tennis community in California. Luckily for AJ, he was being coached by the then–head coach of Long Beach State (and now USC), Peter Smith.

“As he was coaching me through high school, we had already planned that I would play for him,” says AJ. “Even when he left for Fresno State, every summer and during long breaks, I would take my tennis things and see him.”

Sadly, by the time De Leon got to college, the invasion of European tennis players had begun, most of whom had been playing professionally since they were in the mid-teens, and were now looking for an American education. AJ, despite being in the top 30 in singles and top 30 in doubles in the US as a junior, found himself a boy playing among men. There weren’t enough scholarships to go around.

While AJ was at Fresno State, Smith transferred to the more expensive Pepperdine University (alma mater of PBA legend Ricardo Brown). Naturally, AJ followed. That was where his frustrations came to a head. Battling with accounting (his father’s occupation), not playing the feel for tennis he wanted, and struggling to pay the $50,000 annual tuition, AJ started to question his direction. He took a sabbatical, and at the age of 19, started coaching. It was a blessing in disguise. His first job was at Bobby Riggs’ tennis club. That’s where he found his real passion.

Six years later, after AJ had finally completed his studies at UCLA while coaching, a client offered to finance his dream of becoming a pro tennis player. But again, not really knowing anyone or how the ITF worked, De Leon was often left to his own devices, making the challenge even more difficult. Coaching was really the path for him.

Once, on a training trip to the Philippines before a tournament, he met up with his old friend, Philippine Davis Cup captain Cecil Mamiit. It was here that he was introduced to Ajay Pathak, a long-time national tennis official who was now involved with the ITF’s junior program throughout Asia. The two got along immediately, and agreed to work together to improve junior tennis in the country and its neighbors. Soon, there was also a more personal bonus. AJ had fallen in love with Ajay’s daughter, former Philippine swimming champion Em-Em Velasco, who was managing the family’s export company in Subic. In spite of a long-distance relationship, they were eventually married.

AJ would need further education as a tennis coach, and three months ago received his Level 3 Coach’s Certification at the ITF Academy in Valencia, Spain. Now he and his father-in-law are planning to devote their resources to unearthing the next Filipino champion.

“We’re looking for a few underprivileged children about eight to 10 years old who have talent,” explains Pathak, chairman of the Subic Bay Chamber of Commerce sports committee. “We will house them, feed them and train them, and give them the necessary exposure and guidance. We think we have a formula that will work.”

As Ajay continues to work with AJ and Em-Em in managing the company Fil-Em during office hours, the famliy is laying the groundwork to give back to sports through tennis and triathlon. Em-Em herself is getting back in shape for her first crack at a triathlon this year. In the meantime, the family has found its new calling, finding the next big thing in tennis, young children who only need a chance to shine.