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"For as long as I can remember, I have always loved competing. When I was young, I was always on a team or doing something active, including playing soccer, softball, basketball, and even horseback riding. But, nothing compared to my love for tennis."

When Ally Bojczuk first walked on a tennis court, she was eight years old. "I loved playing tennis so much from the first time I held a racquet. I always wanted to hit but remember not being able to keep a ball in the court." She kept trying though and played her first tournament at age 9. Despite starting the match by serving from the middle of the court and losing 6-0, 6-0, she was hooked. "I was not discouraged; I was excited for the next time I would have the chance to compete."

Ally set out to become the best player she could be and decided to focus on training full-time when she was in seventh grade. Finally, she started seeing some success, including finishing fifth at Winter Nationals and receiving the sportsmanship award. Ally was also able to reach the quarterfinals at the Orange Bowl and the doubles final at the Eddie Herr with Madeline Meredith (Birmingham, Ala.). "Maddie and I have played doubles a lot. We made it to the semis of Hard Court nationals and won a national selection together. I met her at a tournament when I was eleven and we have stayed close friends ever since." Ally also often plays doubles with McCartney Kessler (Calhoun, Ga.). The two travel together regularly and mix things up by training at each other's facilities. Recently, in between tournaments in California, the two were able to sneak away from the courts and learned to surf.

Longtime coach Andy Veal has had a significant impact on Ally's success. "He knows when to push me hard and when to stand back and let me figure things out for myself. When I am having trouble he always talks me through it." One reason for their success together is that Ally has a great deal of respect for Andy as a coach and as a person. "I met Ally when she was nine years old" says Coach Veal. "I fed her a few balls and she proceeded to hit the back fence about five times on the fly from a contact point below her knees. I pulled her in and showed her a higher contact point, closed her racquet a little, and sent her back to the baseline. She hit the next five balls hard and low and into the court. That's how it has always been with Ally; you show her something and she gets it and runs with it. She works hard every day, on and off the court, and her optimism and determination are infectious."