June 2009 -- It's easy to see that Francois "Francky" Vignikpo is serious about his USPTA membership and professional development.
Vignikpo attends the World Conference and the Competitive Player Development conferences, he runs Tennis Across America™ clinics, and is an enthusiastic ambassador of the sport.
But some of his less visible activities are the best evidence of his commitment to promoting tennis and youthful potential at the same time.
"Coach Francky," who offers an afterschool program at Dealey Academy in Dallas, makes tennis dreams come true.
His efforts help ensure that young talent does not go to waste, especially because someone can't afford to play. He encourages junior players, prods parents when appropriate, and aids families in gaining financial assistance to keep their child in the game.
Four of his students recently won a 2009 Texas Diversity Grant, designed to help players with tournament-related expenses such as racquets, tennis shoes and tournament entry fees.
Grant amounts can range from $300 to $1,000; each of Vignikpo's winners received $800. The grant, awarded through the USTA Texas Section, is based on financial need and commitment to playing competitive tennis. The sectional Web site states that the young grant recipients "serve as role models and ambassadors to the multicultural community and to the sport of tennis."
The Dealey Academy grant winners are 9-year-old twin brothers Bhavik and Dhanush Patel, budding doubles players; Jordin Guzman, 10; and Rafael Ferretti, 11. The coach had one winner last year; Florence Ukeni was 6 years old and "can hit a very big power shot."
In spite of these success stories, Vignikpo has found that getting students and parents on board with the application process can be hard work. Attendance at the grant application meeting was much lower than the volume of invitations he sent out. But he's hoping more people will make it next time. After the grant results were announced, he said he received more than 100 calls from interested parents.
"If a kid loves tennis I can make all the sacrifices needed," he said. "I am there for kids who want to learn."
Vignikpo helped "resurrect" the tennis program at the George B. Dealey Montessori Vanguard and International Academy, a public Montessori school for prekindergarten through the eighth grade in the Dallas Independent School District. About seven years ago, he said, he saw that the tennis court was empty and unkempt, so he volunteered to help clean up the court and get a program going.
Vignikpo has taught tennis at the school ever since, offering afterschool practice for ages 3 and up. He has more than 100 kids in the program; about three-fourths are from Dealey and the rest attend other schools in the community.
"The kids want to play matches and win a big trophy," he said. "You can see they are very serious about it and it makes me feel happy when I see kids like that."
On Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons he holds a tennis practice for Dealey parents and other adults who are interested in learning the game.
He charges the youngsters a minimal fee - $40 for three months - to cover equipment such as the racquets he provides. "The school doesn't have a budget for that," he said. Adults pay $60 for three months. He waives the fee if a family can't afford it, and many expenses come out of his own pocket.
This USPTA pro also teaches private lessons to students such as Reese Greenlee, a "very talented" 5-year-old whom he has taught for two years, and Max Aranoff, 11, who just won his first Dallas Professional Tennis Association tournament.
The coach, who does teach some full-fee lessons but enjoys donating his services as well, does not depend on tennis as his only source of income. His "main job" is in international finance, running his family's trading and purchasing center. He also finds time to coach YMCA soccer teams and is working toward opening his own tennis academy.
Vignikpo got hooked on tennis when he was 7 years old, playing on a school tennis court near his home on the Caribbean island of Martinique. He didn't have a coach, but he jumped into tournaments just the same.
Now that he's a coach himself, he likes to see a child introduced to tennis as early as 3 years of age. "Parents love to bring their little kids on my court," he said. "That's the way we promote the game, that's what I like to do . as USPTA pros we can make a big difference."
