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Jo-Yee Chan couldn’t hide her disappointment. The 7-year-old Chan had lost every match of her very first tournament.

Jo-Yee Chan Has Signed with Oregon
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Chan desperately wanted her own trophy after seeing her older brother collect a few. She felt like she had failed and wanted to quit playing the sport right then and there.

Before she prepared to leave Peachtree City Tennis Center in Georgia, Chan heard her name called over the loudspeaker to report to the tournament desk.

Chan was told she had earned a consolation trophy for participating in the round-robin format.

“I think the tournament director just felt really bad. I was surprised I got something for losing all my matches,” Chan said with a laugh. “It really made me feel good though. I thought it was amazing at the time.”

The small gesture gave Chan the motivation to keep working hard and pursuing her goals in tennis. The five-star senior from Sugar Hill, Georgia recently accomplished one of her biggest dreams by signing with Oregon to play in college.

“I wasn't sure at all about Oregon because it was far from home, but once I met the coaches and took my visit, I knew it was the right place for me,” Chan said. “The coaches were so caring and communicative throughout the recruiting process and I could tell that they really believed in my potential.”