It took Speech Therapist Damara Nasca time to find her sport and niche. 

Nasca initially did gymnastics, but her passion was cut short when her height interfered with her safety — being too tall makes gymnastics especially challenging. But since tennis already ran in her family, it became the most logical next choice. 

“I just slipped into it,” Nasca said. “Because of all the gymnastics training, I was aggressive and hit some good shots.”

Nasca spent most of her time training with her dad and sister — and though she and her sister lived separate lives in school, Nasca credits the tennis court as their time to bond — they competed as a doubles pair for two years. 

“She was a great role model for me,” Nasca said. “It was just a good relationship, and playing together was really fun.”

As high school came to a close, Nasca knew she wanted to continue Tennis. By the time Nasca committed to Division I tennis at California State University-Fullerton, she thought she would be more prepared. However, she quickly found training with the team more physically demanding than she believed, leaving her aching and sore. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever worked out that hard before,” Nasca said. “I didn’t realize I had muscles in certain places until they ached.”

Along with difficult practices came the challenge of being a student-athlete. Nasca initially struggled with time management between academics and tennis — but once she found the right balance , training at the college level became more feasible. 

“Getting into that routine was difficult,” Nasca said. “But once I knew how to manage my time better, it was pretty easy.” 

But it wasn’t all work. Nasca always enjoyed the social aspect of the sport, and travelling and bonding with the team formed some of her closest friendships — she lived with one of her teammates in college, and served as the maid of honor at her wedding. 

“We were all just together, and that built a lot of camaraderie,” Nasca said. 

Aside from tennis, Nasca spent a year studying abroad in Madrid. Her love for the Spanish culture inspired her to travel to more countries, which eventually led her to teach English in Mexico City.

Ultimately, her sister inspired her to return to the United States to become a speech therapist.

“I got really lucky in finding the MVLA district,” Nasca said. “It felt like all my worlds were coming together.”

Today, Nasca continues to play tennis with her family, and her daughter takes tennis lessons, carrying on the tradition of the family sport. She inspired her husband to play, and the two enjoy spending that time together outdoors. 

“Tennis really is a great sport,” Nasca said. “I’m still playing today, so I think that says a lot about my love for it.”