A Review

Katrina Adams brings us along on her lone journey from junior tennis player in Chicago to the Executive Director of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program in New York. We stop with her along the way for a landmark two terms as President of the United States Tennis Association. Her journey as the first African American, first former tennis professional, youngest and first to serve two terms takes us behind the scenes at the USTA and shows some of the challenges that exist in being the public face of a national organization with a worldwide presence. Her message on how to succeed in this environment is both unique and inspirational.

To say that Katrina Adams has a presence is an understatement. Her public persona seems to exude poise and confidence that belie her essentially private personality. This presence is just one of the tools that she brings to the arena of big business and international sport. Her purpose in writing this book is to encourage and inspire others to develop a toolkit to enable them to own their own arenas.

The book grabs your attention with an opening devoted to the controversy surrounding the 2018 US Open final featuring Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka. After providing an insider and frank view of this event and the aftermath, the book only gets better. It features twelve “match” points to help you thrive when, like Katrina, you are the only one--of any type--at the table, in the meeting or in the arena. Some of these “match” pointers include: recognize that there is a reason you are at the table, surround yourself with individuals whom you trust and who can help you, and “acknowledge and celebrate your accomplishments”.  Each point/pointer is introduced with an apt quote from someone in the business and sports arena, e.g., she quotes her friend Billie Jean King: “Losing is not failure; it’s research.”

Katrina freely acknowledges and thanks the mentors, tennis community members, and especially her parents who helped her along the way. This recognition of the gifts she was given has encouraged her to give back through her own volunteer work and mission. She feels that someone like herself who has been the first has an obligation to “be the first of many. Reach back to pull forward.”

An Interview

After appearing on Good Morning America and PBS, Katrina also took time for a telephone interview.  One of her goals growing up was to go into broadcast journalism which is why she majored in Communications during her two years at Northwestern. This seemed a prescient decision as she has been a Tennis Channel color commentator and held positions that require public speaking. Her success in having mentors along her path she attributes to her upbringing—her parents raised her to respect her elders and to be open to listening to people. She was taught that you don’t get places by yourself. As a private person, she had to get out of her comfort zone by sharing personal details in the book.

Looking at challenges facing tennis, she feels that underserved communities are not always black communities; they may be diverse in many ways. Another challenge she sees is not only introducing people and children to tennis but keeping them in the sport by providing affordable play opportunities. In her own case, she is grateful for the coaches and facilities that gave her a break on court time and fees which allowed her to progress at a critical age. She references the USTA facility grants and the ITF Advantage All program that focus on that problem.

As an adult, she has no regrets as her journey has been fun and long; she viewed any hurdles along the way as opportunities. She reiterated that once you are in the room, at the table, or in the arena, you need to represent well and bring others behind you.  Going forward, she is looking forward to getting back on the tennis court (soon!) after recovering from knee surgery, and she is open to where her talents might take her—if both the opportunity and the timing are right. She is also looking forward to reading Billie Jean King’s autobiography, expected to be released in August.

In the end, Katrina is passionate about what sports do for people. As an honorary member of the NWTO, she hopes that we can encourage our members to use their talents to volunteer in their local communities. Katrina has donated two copies of her book as well as lunch with her in New York for the upcoming NWTO online auction in April.

Own the Arena Getting Ahead, Making a Difference, and Succeeding as the Only One by Katrina Adams
HarperCollins Publishers Inc. | New York, NY 10007
Copyright 2021 by Katrina M. Adams, Inc. 272 pp