Congratulations to Winchester Thurston senior Emma Famili for her recent recognition as one of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s top high school tennis players in the region! Emma attributes her success to the fact that she was able to begin playing tennis at a very young age. When asked about the her early tennis playing days, Emma reflects, “I started playing tennis when I was little to get closer to my sister because we did not have anything in common… I was in the hospital for two months, so when I got out I used tennis to help get myself back in shape.” Tennis is a grueling sport that requires countless hours of hard work and dedication to reach the level of skill that Emma has achieved. “My family was always there to support me,” she explained during our conversation together. “Tennis is a fun sport and I’ve met amazing people through it.”

Emma led the WT tennis team to an impressive 6-3 regular season record before they suffered a close defeat to top seed Knoch High School in the first round of WPIAL playoffs. When asked about what advice she had for future tennis players coming up in the Winchester tennis program, Emma smiled and answered, “Play with your heart, have good sportsmanship, and have fun.” These are wise words that should be taken to the heart by not just tennis players, but all athletes that proudly take the field, court, or race course with the Winchester bear on their chest. Tennis is a sport that rarely receives the recognition and attention it deserves from the Winchester community, so I, and I am sure many others, want to give Emma a final thank you for pouring herself into this program over the past four years and changing the face of Winchester tennis into the impressive force that it is today. Emma has been offered tennis positions at more than half of the schools that she is applying to, so keep an eye out for her to continue her success on the next level!