Name: Yens Leenstra
Born: 16 Okt, 2003
Sport: tennis
University: Seward County Community College
Placed: Fall 2023

From Amjoy Tennis to the USA: Yens Leenstra’s transition to college tennis
Yens Leenstra began his tennis career in a humble way. He trained in his youth at TOS Bergeijk, a regional club in Brabant, where he discovered his love for the game. Although he did not put in many training hours at a young age, his passion for tennis grew over the years. When he later joined Amjoy Tennis, one of the best tennis academies in the Netherlands, his game took a big leap forward and Yens set his sights on college tennis in the USA.

A community college: the perfect step for Yens
When Yens began the journey with Slamstox, he had a rating of 7 in the KNLTB system. His goal was clear: he wanted to play tennis at the highest possible level in the USA to fully develop. At the same time, it was important to keep costs down so that his family could support this adventure.

Seward County Community College proved to be the perfect match. Seward County, located in Kansas, is known for its strong tennis program and offers athletes the opportunity to fully focus on their development. The community college system offers students like Yens the opportunity to train in a competitive setting and play many matches. In addition, costs at community colleges are often lower than universities, which made it possible for Yens to stay within budget while pursuing his dreams.

Yens’ progress: from the Netherlands to the USA
With the support of Slamstox and Amjoy Tennis, Yens began to improve faster and faster. He earned his high school diploma and in the meantime managed to secure a scholarship at Seward County. Thanks to the intensive cooperation with Amjoy, we were able to monitor Yens’ progress well and communicate his level clearly to the coaches in America.

Yens always aspired to play as many matches as possible and grow as a tennis player. Starting at a community college will allow him to fully focus on his game while adjusting to the American school system. The goal is to move on to an NCAA university after these two years to continue his studies and tennis career.

The College Tennis Showcase: Yens’ breakthrough
Yens was invited to participate in the College Tennis Showcase, an event where he was able to present himself to several U.S. coaches. This gave him a chance to further gain exposure, resulting in multiple offers from community colleges. Ultimately, he chose Seward County, a decision that fit his goals and ambitions perfectly.

The transition to the USA: hard work and building friendships
For Yens, the move to the USA meant not only studying in English, but also starting to train much more intensively. Although it took some getting used to at first, he was well taken care of socially by his team. Soon he built strong friendships, which helped him feel at home in his new environment.

Since leaving for the USA, Yens has also made great strides in the Dutch tennis rankings. His hard work and determination are paying off, and he is still making a lot of progress.

Slamstox: from dream to reality
What makes this story extra special is that Yens did not initially know that college tennis was an option for players of his caliber. Thanks to guidance from Slamstox and our extensive network with coaches from community colleges, he discovered that there are many opportunities for players of his caliber. By carefully structuring the process and making the right connections, we were able to successfully place Yens.

“I never thought this was possible. Through hard work and with the right help, my dream has become a reality!”