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Mimi Kennell doesn’t need to make a trip to Florida for the nice weather.

As Director of Junior Tennis for the USTA Hawaii Pacific Section, Kennell can stay at home to enjoy the sun and sand.

USTA Is Helping Individual Sections Host Combines
© USTA

But Kennell wants to help young players in Hawaii have a chance to play college tennis, so she is flying more than nine hours to attend the USTA All-American College Combine June 16-20 at the USTA National Tennis Center in Lake Nona.

In an effort to expand combine opportunities across the country, USTA has invited section representatives to attend the national event this year and gain more insight into the process.

The hope is to have them replicate something similar in their own sections and expose more American junior players to college tennis. Of the 17 sections invited to the All-American Combine, five representatives have responded saying they will be attending, including Kennell.

“In Hawaii, we have very limited opportunities for the kids, especially for the ones that want to be exposed to college and the coaches,” Kennell said. “I just want to go and see how the event is done and perhaps see if we can also do something here on the island to prepare the kids to be ready to go to this college combine and hopefully get discovered.”