The tan is perfect. The smile at the rendezvous. At a table in a fast food chain during her lunch break, Armelle takes the time to chat by video. “I’m in Lufkin, East Texas,” she announces with a slight English accent.
Discovery of tennis in Issoire
A statement that could be misleading. And yet, Armelle Cerdan is a real Issoirienne. A girl who has the city of Saint-Austremoine pegged to her body, but who wanted to push her dreams to the other side of the Atlantic.
After Miami, heading for a new university, in Houston, for the Issoir tenniswoman
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Tennis player since the age of 4, her talent opened the doors to a university in Florida where she landed in 2016 as soon as she obtained her baccalaureate in France. She is studying kinesiology (sports coach and nutrition) and playing tennis at an excellent university level.
Studies in Texas
After a smooth year, she settled in August 2017 at a new university, this time in Texas, to extend this double course. “I played in Division 1, the best division of university tennis, in singles and doubles for three years, she describes. It has been three very intense years with four to five hours of sport a day. »
Armelle was the main coach and the French teacher at Nacogdoches high school. Photo Armelle Cerdan
Armelle obtains her bachelor’s degree in 2020 and can start a new part of her life. Barely out of her studies, the Issoirienne seized the opportunity to become the main tennis coach, but also a French teacher at the Nacogdoches high school (Texas).
At the beginning, it was not easy, because in the morning, I gave four hours of French lessons and in the afternoon, I taught tennis to 35 students without an assistant. When you’re 20, it’s formative!
The experience will last a year, before Armelle jumps on a new opportunity, this time at Lufkin: “Tennis is not very developed here. And in the city’s Crown Colony Country Club, there were courts, but no practice for ten years. The land was even going to be put up for sale. When I arrived, they asked me if I wanted to be the main coach. I accepted immediately! »
She teaches tennis to 80 children
Armelle launches her own academy and teaches the practice of the yellow ball to 80 students. The Texan has even organized her first tournaments and plans to set up “competitions paid for professional players”.
The one who has made sport her way of life, also takes the time to give private lessons to former baseball players or Texan entrepreneurs who frequent the Country Club. “I also give fitness lessons to children and French lessons,” she adds.
It was on the courts of Issoire that she learned tennis.
In the land of Uncle Sam, the young girl, married since 2020 to Izac, American javelin champion, has therefore found a life that suits her. “It’s kind of my American dream coming true. Everything is possible here. »
Back in Issoire in May
A waking dream that Armelle lives more than 8,000 km from her hometown.
I miss France and Issoire. I came back a few weeks ago. The first time in three years. It was too long.
And she took the opportunity to combine business with pleasure: during her stay last May in Issoire, she also once again wore the colors of USI Tennis during interclubs. “I remained licensed at the club. For me, Philippe Delaspre is the best coach. He taught me everything and today I try to share it with my students. »
USI Tennis in the heart of the matter
A way of remembering that even if she is living a waking dream on the other side of the Atlantic, her roots are still on the banks of the Couze.
Jean-Baptiste Botella
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