The Sioux Falls Tennis Association will be posting a Q&A each month on our website on a tennis player in our community. We would love for you to be our next featured player!

Q: Tell us a little bit about your family.

My husband’s name is Rick Thomas and is originally from California. We recently were married on December 2nd, 2017. He is a teacher and football coach at Washington High School. We have a dog, Molly, who we adopted this winter, and she has quickly become a cherished part of our family!

My parents are Will and Joan Hurley; they live here in Sioux Falls. I have three brothers: Ryan, Trevor, and Connor. Ryan is 32 and lives in Kansas City. He is married to my sister-in-law Jennifer, and they have one son, Calvin. Trevor is 25 and lives in Kalamazoo, MI and works for Stryker. Connor, my youngest brother, is 20 and plays baseball at Concordia in St. Paul.

Q: How old were you when you started playing tennis and how did you get into it?

I started when I was about 11 years old. My neighbor and I decided we were going to attend Tennis & Life Camp at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN, so we took a few lessons prior to going. At TLC, I fell in love with tennis, and I began taking a few lessons and going to groups when we got back. In 8th grade, I quit my other sports to be more serious about tennis and commit more time to it.

Q: What is your favorite tennis memory?

My favorite tennis memories are really any time I was able to play for and with a team. Both my high school and college experiences were so memorable, especially traveling together and building relationships on and off the court.

Q: Do you have any pre-match rituals?

When I was younger, I would get so nervous before a match, so I would listen to music and try to calm my nerves. I also sometimes would sit and make a list of different strategies I could use against different types of players. Now before a match, it’s usually just a miracle if I can remember my shoes and get to the court on time J J

Q: Besides tennis, what else do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I coach tennis in the spring and the fall, so that takes up a lot of my spare time during those seasons. Otherwise, I love reading, traveling, listening to music, and spending time with my family, friends, and our dog. I also recently joined Revolution Yoga & Cycle, co-owned by a Braden Bradfield, a friend I met years ago through tennis, and have loved doing yoga and cycling almost every day there.

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