HighFIVE: Paige Burke

The following HighFIVE profile appears in the 2018 Spring issue of Colorado Tennis newspaper.

Growing up in Blaine, Minnesota, and sandwiched between three brothers, Paige learned how to hold her own ground. A born “peer negotiator and mediator”, Paige’s family life and athletic aptitude helped her to develop a love of all sports. First stepping on a tennis court at the age of 7, Paige knew immediately it was a fit.

Taking those early physical and social aptitudes into her young adult years, Paige went on to play high school and then four years at Minnesota State University, Mankato where she studied law enforcement. She would also meet fellow teammate and friend, USTA Colorado League Coordinator Kate James, who would eventually be the catalyst that would bring her out of a career with the police department and security jobs in Minnesota to her world of tennis in Colorado.

“Tennis is my world now,” Paige jokes about spending at least six days a week on a court between her position as a Tennis Professional at Life Time and competing herself. Starting at the Colorado Springs location then eventually making her way to Centennial, it is Paige’s passion for the game and understanding of young athletes that has made her invaluable in her job, from working exclusively with the 4 and 5-year-old peewee netters to her current role as the Junior Development Tennis Coordinator.

“Paige goes above and beyond in all her junior programs at Life Time Fitness,” Kate says. “She helped promote our new Fall JTT season, registering the most teams in the program. Paige also contributes to the Adult Leagues. Last year during some particularly rainy playoffs, she helped us secure indoor courts. It was immensely valuable, not just to us, but to all the players who were able to finish their matches. It’s great to have partners in the community who really see the big picture on how to grow the game of tennis.”

Seeing the bigger picture for young athletes is at the core of Paige’s message. “Tennis teaches you how to work with other people and solve problems both on and off the court.” She also said from high school through college and now in adult leagues, her tennis memories are “of the friends I made, not the matches I won or lost.”

Being on the junior development side of the game, she’s excited about the improvements made in the younger play such as QuickStart and ROGY. She feels that the “learning by playing” mindset is shifting the game in the right direction.

“Whether you want to compete professionally or recreationally, tennis has an opportunity for everyone. Even if your goal is to simply learn a new skill, meet friends, and have fun, that’s great, too. Tennis is a sport of a lifetime.”

While tennis is definitely more than a hobby to Paige — after all, she’s gone to Nationals three times on 4.5 teams so far — her passion for living life occasionally works its way off the court and into the Rocky Mountains. She enjoys climbing 14-ers, whitewater rafting and is training for the upcoming Tough Mudder late this summer in Snowmass.

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