Slicer Tennis wins Rep. Chrissy Houlahan’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Pennsylvania’s Sixth District

When asked what inspired the creation of Slicer Tennis, the student said, “The inspiration to create Slicer Tennis stemmed from my experiences as the founder of Ace Tennis Academy LLC, where we’ve worked with over 320 young tennis players, aged 8-14, alongside a team of 16 coaches. Over three years, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges that both parents and young athletes face when trying to improve their tennis skills. Many of the students in our academy were eager to practice outside of our sessions, but parents often found it difficult to guide them through effective drills or provide meaningful feedback. Parents want their children to progress, but most lack the technical expertise to help correct form or identify areas of improvement. Additionally, not all families can afford private lessons on a regular basis and many others don’t have access to nearby courts to practice, which limits their progression.

This gap in accessibility and feedback led me to realize that there was a need for a tool that could help tennis players continue learning and improving independently, outside of formal lessons. Parents wanted more structure for their children’s practice routines, and kids wanted to see measurable progress. The idea for Slicer was born from the need to provide a solution that makes high-quality tennis coaching available to everyone, regardless of their location or financial situation.

During my time in Mumbai, India, I saw this need even more clearly. In such densely crowded cities, tennis courts are few and far between. Many kids who are passionate about tennis simply did not have access to courts or proper coaching facilities. This made it nearly impossible for them to develop their skills, even though they had the drive and potential. Developing countries, like India, usually have a great income disparity. Underprivileged students may not be able to access courts and coaching without putting their family’s finances at risk. Seeing this firsthand reinforced my belief that Slicer could bridge this gap by offering accessible coaching to young players around the world, including those without the resources to access traditional tennis lessons. By creating Slicer, I hoped to provide them with the coaching and support they need to grow, regardless of where they are or what resources they have.”