In Love With the Game

The United States government calls him an alien, but his visa declares he has extraordinary abilities.

Joseph Oyebog, born and raised in Cameroon, Africa, may be an alien, but his 145 mph serve is no flying saucer.

When Oyebog was 7, he was first exposed to tennis when he watched a local match not far from his school. Soon after, he picked up a racket and began his own journey on the court. By his 22nd birthday, he had trained in Bradenton, Fla., at The Bollettieri Tennis Academy, where he was scouted and awarded a tennis scholarship for Columbus College in Columbus, Ga.

Years of international Davis Cup tournaments earned him a ranking of top 10 in college tennis in the world.

Oyebog later came back to Florida, where he worked with two of his most famous students: Venus and Serena Williams. He was titled their 'Aspiring Hitting Partner,' and trained with them.

He always wanted to expose those less fortunate to tennis, to give them the chances he says he was lucky enough to have. The Oyebog Tennis Academy (OTA) was created in 1999 in Camaroon, Africa. Currently, there are 25 centers nationwide that host 1,200 children and 50 coaches, administrators and volunteers.

"I came up with the idea that if kids start to play tennis at early ages, they have more time to get to a higher level," Oyebog said. "In Africa, families make only two or three thousand dollars each year to feed families with many children. Through this program, those kids have the opportunity to gain scholarships and do well in school."

Oyebog initially came to Fairfield County by way of Trumbull when he was offered a teaching position at a tennis club. Now, he trains players locally, ranging from elementary-aged children to senior citizens on  a daily basis. With the fees he charges for lessons, Oyebog contributes it to OTA to provide the players in Africa with materials, coaches and other necessities to keep the program running.

"I am lucky to be in the position where I can give back to my community," Oyebog said. "It gives me a great opportunity to be able to help my home country, and to expose them to tennis."

The goal of the academy is to provide opportunities for students to be able to attend colleges and universities across the globe through tennis scholarships.

"Even though it sounds like a very big program, it has a lot of challenges. It is run on donated court time only," Oyebog said. "The main goal of the program is to one day have a tennis facility for people to train at peace."

Currently, there are 20 players that have been awarded scholarships in the U.S. Specifically, Victor Sanakai , his prized student, won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Another player of his, Natahalie Sienkob,  also won the NAIA tournament for the women's league.

In turn, Oyebog also inspires tennis players in Fairfield County.

"He's a big teady bear," said Westporter Beth Franklin, who has played with Oyebog for more than five years. "You see Joseph, and he's larger than life. He's always happy, very warm and friendly."

Westporter Jodi Reiner, another longtime student, furthered how he's "good hearted. This isn't just his job," she said. "You can tell that he's a special kind of guy and that his heart's in a good place."

On August 27, Oyebog is organizing an event at Intensity Tennis in Norwalk, CT from 7  to 10 p.m. For $50, one can play tennis, eat authentic African foods, and participate in an exhibition match to conclude the evening.

This multilingual, 6'2'' man is well traveled, yet humble. He can improve a backhand, encourage poaching, and perfect one's net game, all while having a good time for a great cause.

To contact Joseph Oyebog, call 203.615.8474 or email joyebog@aim.com.