Help Theo Attend Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain!

During the summer of 2020, Theo Johnson began his tennis journey under the direction of Coach Stacie Kennington of Blue Skies Tennis. Coach Kennington quickly realized that Theo was a “naturally gifted athlete”, and it wasn’t long until others noticed his talent as well. After 3 years of training, Theo was selected to attend the prestigious Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain.

Even with Theo’s natural athletic ability, his success would not have excelled without his grit and determination to become better. Theo’s mother shared, “He became enamored with tennis. Rain or shine, he was hitting tennis balls somewhere every day”. It wasn’t long before Theo began to play above his age level. Even as the youngest player in his group, Theo continued to excel.

During the summer of 2023, Theo attended the Rafa Nadal Academy in Charlotte, NC. The Academy traveled throughout the United States and had 1,400 tennis players in attendance. Of these players, 56 were selected to attend the Academy in Mallorca, Spain in the summer of 2024. Theo was one of the 56 players selected. Coach Kennington stated, “This is a huge honor for a 10-year-old to be selected from such a competitive field to represent our communities from Statesville, Lake Norman, and the greater Charlotte Metropolitan region. Theo has the perfect balance of skill, sportsmanship, and personality to be a great ambassador for our communities and our sport”.

After just 3 years of dedicating himself to the sport of tennis, this incredible young player has the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend a high-performance program and train with some of the best players in the world and in doing so, represent our entire community on an international stage. The funds raised will help cover the travel expenses for Theo and Coach Kennington as they pursue this exciting new chapter in advancing his tennis skills.

We are trying to raise $7,500 to reach the second installment due January 5th! Please consider donating, and if you aren't able to donate at this time, please take a moment to share with friends and family. Thank you!