HighFIVE: Rachel Morley
H5-196: Story by Kurt Desautels
It’s a HighFIVE Friday, let’s say hello to Rachel Morley, a SoCal transplant who relocated to Denver in 1998.
USTA Colorado is celebrating Rachel’s 20th year as a volunteer with our organization, having originally started with our Community Development department. Over the years, she has been involved in all sorts of areas, including as a member of the Communications, the Marketing and the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation Racquets for All Committees. These days, she serves on the USTA Colorado Board of Directors.
Rachel’s introduction to tennis came around age 8 or 9, when she and her dad would head to breakfast every Saturday morning and then go watch tennis at a local park in Santa Monica.
“One weekend, there was a tournament and I saw a teenage Tracy Austin win the Women’s Open. I was fascinated watching her. I went home, put my hair in two ponytails, borrowed my mom’s racquet and started hitting against the garage. That led to lessons, traveling around Southern California for tournaments, having a successful high school career and playing for the University of Washington.”
Tennis has continued to play a big role in her personal life. Rachel credits the sport for introducing her to some of her closest friends, and while she’s had to mostly retire from the game due to a nagging elbow injury, she has developed personal relationships with a number of others through volunteering.
“I volunteer with USTA Colorado and the Colorado Youth Tennis Foundation because I love the game of tennis. Tennis has been such a huge part of my life and I truly appreciate the beauty and intricacies of the sport. I wanted to stay connected with the game whether I was playing or not.”
Rachel encourages other to give volunteering a try.
“There are lots of different ways to volunteer. Reach out to an organization whose mission speaks to you. Ask where they need help. Let them know your strengths. See where that conversation leads.”
“Rachel can be counted on to think broadly yet practically and is always willing to step up to help in whatever way she can,” says Kristy Harris, USTA Colorado Director of Community Development. “Her professionalism, organization, commitment and dependability have made her an invaluable part of the USTA Colorado family for decades. People like Rachel make us all better in our efforts to use tennis to impact people and communities.”
MidFirst Bank is one of the largest privately owned banks and this combination of size and private ownership provides our customers with a special brand of banking. We are a strong supporter of the communities we serve, investing time and money in important educational, charitable and civic organizations. Our volunteerism is powered by our employees from all of the communities in which we live and share with our customers. MidFirst Bank is a proud partner of USTA Colorado.
