Bob Masella, 51, of Columbia, S.C. has been named the USTA League Captain of the Month for July. He has been a USTA League captain since 1999 and is currently the captain of a 7.5 combo team and a 3.5 Adult men’s team. 

 

Masella has been competing in USTA Leagues since 1996. He started playing tennis while rehabbing from injuries he sustained in a car accident that left him in a wheelchair. Today he competes in doubles with and agasint able-bodied competitors, and still has yet to face off against another wheelchair opponent.

 

"If the accident hadn’t happened to me, I wouldn’t be who I am now. You have to find the silver lining. There are all sorts of possibilities. It made me slow down and think about what I was doing and gave me direction as what I wanted to do," said Masella in an interview with USTA.com. You can view the full interview here.

 

As he continues to compete everyday, Masella displays a great amount of passion and heart for the sport of tennis.