Meet Maria Juliana Velasco Morales of Velasco Tennis Foundation in Boca Raton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Juliana Velasco Morales.

Maria Juliana, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am originally from a town in Colombia called Bucaramanga. Born with a malformation called Lymphatic Malformation, my parents decided to contact a Dr. John Mulliken from the Children’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, as they could find no help me in my hometown. So they decided to travel to Boston when I was three years old. At that time Dr. Mulliken informed my parents that they would have to wait until I grew up to be able to perform any work on me. A decision was made to schedule my first operation when I was 15 years old. I traveled to the U.S. and the surgery was successful. From that moment on, I became very grateful to Dr. Mulliken and the United States for helping me. This is one of the reasons I made the decision to return to America and live with the sole purpose of giving back to others.

My father, Alvaro, has always been my biggest encourager and supporter. He has had such a positive influence in my life. Since childhood, I have always enjoyed sports but he instilled in me a love for tennis. I started playing tennis when I was nine years old and worked hard to become three in Colombia. This occurred when I was 14 years old. As a result, I received a full tennis scholarship from South Eastern State Oklahoma University in 2006 and was designated as the number two player for the university. I graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Sports and Recreation. As soon as I finished college I moved to Boston and the city has held a special place in my heart ever since then.

While in Boston, I had my first experience with community programs as I worked as a professional tennis coach at the Sportsmen’s Tennis Club and Enrichment Center (STEC). I worked there from 2009 until 2014. At the club, I worked in the community service program that offered classes to low-income families. STEC was actively involved in programs for disadvantaged kids and families. Through the program, I was able to work with lower income kids on a weekly basis. I found the program incredibly rewarding. It was an amazing experience as I found that the youth were extremely excited and willing to work hard at learning the game. From this experience, I began to seek out other similar opportunities when I moved to Florida.

In 2015, I started Velasco Tennis Foundation in Boca Raton, Florida due to my love for tennis and because it is a great family sport. It allows children to have an activity that is fun and can be pursued in college if they choose to work hard. I also discovered in this process that I enjoy teaching people that come from all walks of life such as ones who can afford it and the ones who could no afford it. To me, it is more about there being an activity and opportunity that is available for all.

The “Velasco Tennis Foundation” (VTF) is located in South County Regional Park at 11200 Access Park Road in Boca Raton, Florida.  We offer  tennis programs for kids aged  six to 12 years old. My desire is to promote tennis as a sport and allow children to play tennis that is reasonably priced as it can be very expensive to join the sport of tennis and play in Florida! If you wish to support the program, contact us!

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Well, all things happen for a reason. At the beginning, I had a lot of struggles finding a place for the program. We use to travel from one place to another place because renting a tennis court in Florida can be difficult and expensive. So I tried to find tennis courts that allowed public use with little to no cost. This was very difficult to find. For a time we used the courts in a specific community where but this did not last long because the court was damaged due to Hurricane Irma.

Another factor is that tennis clubs desire exclusivity. They are not willing to allow personal programs or tennis to be taught at their club unless you work directly for the club or  are a member. This can be quite expensive. I finally spoke with Joe Globisch, one of the people in charge of South County Regional Park in Boca Raton and told him about my foundation. He was gracious toward me and allowed me to use the courts with lowered fees.

Velasco Tennis Foundation – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am the Founder of this program. I am a tennis Pro Coach, I have about 25 years of  experience playing and about 10 years working with all levels and ages! I used to be number three in my native country Colombia, I am a former college tennis player and I am also a PTR Certified Tennis Professional.

What sets you apart from others?
I believe what sets us apart from others is that we care about the player. It is not about the money but rather about the child learning about the sport of tennis and having fun! To me, success is equal to perseverance. One must never give up, no matter what obstacles may come. It is of utmost importance that one always believes that, “all things are possible.” When you believe, dream and have God’s help to achieve your passion, your dream will come true. God definitely rewards those who believe!

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is doing what God told you to do regardless of the cost and the consequences. I know sometimes it is hard, but True success is doing what God wants for us!

Contact Info:

• Address: 11200 Access Park Road, Boca Raton, FL
• Website: http://velascotennis.com/
• Phone: 3863076149
• Email:  mariavela13@hotmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/velascotennis/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/velascotennis/?ref=settings
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/VelascoTennis

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