A Light of Our Community – Sarah Pernell (Ms. Sarah)

August 7, 2024

Sarah Pernell is a name synonymous with Austin, tennis, and youth programming, but she is also a name synonymous with summer camps at Candlelight Ranch. We have had the pleasure of working with “Ms. Sarah” (as she is more fondly known) and the children and families of Central Texas Tennis Association (CTTA) for over 15 years during their participation in Camp Glimmer each summer. Established in 1997, CTTA’s mission is to promote the sport of tennis and to give the youth in the inner city of Austin, particularly in East Austin, the opportunity to participate in a sport they would not otherwise be exposed to while making it more affordable for all. Today, CTTA provides tennis clinics to kids, adults, and seniors, mentoring/tutoring, science/math/reading clubs, computer skills, and social needs to thousands in Austin and surrounding communities.  As a co-founder, Program Director, and now President of CTTA, Miss Sarah’s primary mission has been expanding tennis opportunities for populations traditionally under-represented in the Austin tennis community. Miss Sarah reflects on her time with CTTA, stating:

“The children and families that our organization has been able to help over the years constantly tell me what a blessing we have been to them, but the real truth is they have been a blessing to me. The things CTTA has accomplished would not be possible without such organizations like Glimmer Austin, Candlelight Ranch, Austin Parks and Recreation, Capital Area Tennis Association, Austin Woman Tennis Association, The United States Tennis Association – Texas Section, Cindy Brettschneider and family, Lincoln Ward with Austin Tennis and Pickleball Center, Carol Welder, and so many others.  I am who I am due to the many wonderful people God has placed in my life.”

CTTA started with only a handful of kids but, after some years, has grown to over 1,200. CTTA has no paid staff or a “real” tennis site to call home but instead uses city parks, schools, and recreation centers. Their programs are year-round, with an after-school program and the National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) during the summer, whose camps visit Candlelight Ranch through Camp Glimmer many times throughout the summer. With a startup grant of $500.00 from USTA, CTTA was born, and after many years of hard work, this youth development program has grown into one of the largest in the Austin area.

Ms. Sarah was born in Attalla, Alabama, to humble makings with caring parents who struggled to make ends meet and provide for their four children. Growing up during the late 50s & early 60s, she was shaped by a time when social unrest, racial tension, and violence were a fixture of society. Ms. Sarah vividly recalls meeting Coretta Scott King and the events of “Bloody Sunday” in Selma; she reflects, “Life was hard, but I thank every day that I was given the opportunity to go through it. I believe it is the reason for my passion and the love I have for helping others”. With modest beginnings in rural Alabama, Ms. Sarah had zero exposure to the sport of tennis during her childhood. Instead, she found it a perfect outlet for her son and her growing family later in life. Her son’s success with the sport and how it helped him grow as a person and athlete brought to Ms. Sarah’s attention how few minority youths were able to benefit from the sport of tennis. This realization and a personal mission to bring the benefits of the sport to Austin’s unrepresented youth prompted the founding of Central Texas Tennis Association (CTTA).

CTTA is not the only legacy Miss Sarah leaves in bettering the lives of our Austin youth and families. Upon arriving in Austin in 1997, Ms. Sarah founded another non-profit organization called “Project Helping Hand,” which aided disadvantaged families relocating to the greater Austin area. Additionally, she has served as vice president and three-time board member of the Capital Area Tennis Association (CATA) and member of the U.S. Tennis Association Texas Section Executive Board. Her commitment to her community has deservedly been recognized through a multitude of awards and recognitions, including the Heros of Central Texas Award from the American Red Cross, a Heritage Award from the City of Austin, an Outstanding Contribution Award from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, and a “No Court No Problem” Award from the USTA Texas Section and “Five Who Cares” Austin Community Service Award; to name a few! She has also volunteered extensively with Austin Parks & Rec and Safe Place, as a mentor and tutor with several AISD & Del Valle local schools, and as an advocate with CASA.

In recent years, Ms. Sarah has continued to directly improve the lives of low-income children and families in Austin by managing a neighborhood refrigerated food bank that allows for fresh vegetables and healthy ingredients. This grassroots fixture of the East Austin community is run by members of the neighborhood who fill the food bank’s shelves, uplifting their neighbors during times of need. A few years ago, Ms. Sarah was diagnosed with cancer while caring for her brother, who also had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. But through all of this, Ms. Sarah’s spirit never faltered. “Never once did I ever think of giving up. I am blessed. God allowed me to accept the things I cannot change and to be grateful for whatever the outcome would be. I have so many wonderful people in my life, especially my family. Tennis has been a big part of my survival, and I am so thankful God chose me to be the one to carry this disease and for the many wonderful giving people placed in my village.”

She remains active as the president of CTTA while leading a volunteer group for cancer fighters, who, through their fight and treatment, continue to give back to their community in positive ways. Ms. Sarah’s name may be synonymous with Austin, tennis, and youth programs, but may her name also be synonymous with strength, purpose, and love for those in need. Ms. Sarah, you are a true light of our community! The line from the poem “Keep Going” by Edgar Guest embodies the determination Ms. Sarah lives… “When things go wrong, as they sometimes will.  When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low, and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit, rest if you must, but don’t you quit.” Thank you, Ms. Sarah, for ALL you have done for the children and families in need of Austin.