Cecil V. Mamiitis a Pilipino-American tennis player on the Philippines' Davis Cup Team.
Cecil Mamiit was introduced to tennis at the tender age of 8 years old. His older cousins were involved in the sport, so his uncles and parents encouraged him to give it a try. Not only did he try, Mamiit went on to have a successful junior career, reaching the finals in the Junior National Tennis Championships in 1993.
In his freshman year at the University of Southern California, Mamiit won the NCAA Singles Tennis Championship in 1996, making him only the second freshman to win the title after John McEnroe first won the title as a freshman back in 1978. Mamiit decided to pursue a professional tennis career later that year, with the help of a sponsorship deal from Adidas. During his professional career, Mamiit competed in various national and international tournaments, including all four of the Grand Slams: the U.S. Open, the French Open, the Australian Open, and Wimbledon. He has challenged some of the best tennis players in the world, including such American legends as Andre Agassi and Michael Chang.
In addition to his success as a singles player, Mamiit is also a member of the Philippines’ Davis Cup Team and represents the Philippines in international competition. He first played for the Philippine Davis Cup Team in 2006, when team Philippines competed in Group 3. Since then, the Philippine Davis Cup Team has advanced to Group 1 in the Asian Division after a tie against Kuwait and secured their position after a tie against Korea, which are among Mamiit's fondest memories.
But, one of Mamiit's proudest moments of his career is not one from tennis competition. With the help of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and sponsor Jean Henri Lhuillier, Mamiit and fellow tennis players from the tour raised $9,000 to help victims of Hurricane Ondoy. Tennis players Michael Chang, former Philippines Davis Cup member Eric Taino, and Kevin Kim participated in exhibition matches for the fundraiser. Mamiit also had tremendous support from his parents, as well as from Joel Dacay, Cherry Carluen, and Arnold Villajuan, who helped organize the event. They also received support from local tennis clubs in Southern California, especially Fremont Tennis Club, Chino Hills club, and Carson area clubs.
For Mamiit, representing the Philippines in tennis competition is an important and meaningful role. "It brings honor and pride when I play. [It's] a great opportunity for me to show my talents and represent the Philippines at a very professional level. I see proud faces when I play and get a sense of hope when playing. Giving young players hope to someday play and represent themselves."
His advice to Pilipino and Pilipino-American athletes who want to follow in his footsteps is to "always be prepared for the opportunities that you will have in life. Whether it's tennis or work. Success doesn't come easy. Focus on short term goals but keep on the direction of your ultimate goal."
You can help support Philippines Tennis by attending tournaments and matches. Check the Davis Cup website and follow Cecil Mamiit on Twitter (@cecilmamiit) for tournament updates.
Related Links:
*Photo Credit: taken by Marcus Robas at the Korea vs. Philippines Davis Cup match in Changwon, Korea, September 2010.
No Facebook?
By Mwrobas on April 12, 2011 - 10:33pm
- Login or register to post comments
Comments
Good article!