Beyond The Baseline: Camille Hanson

From building forts in the woods of Hickory, North Carolina, to supporting community tennis programs across Southern California, Camille Hanson has spent her life connecting people through creativity, sport, and teamwork. As a Community Tennis Coordinator with USTA Southern California, she plays an active role in expanding access to the game while supporting programs that connect players of all ages and backgrounds.

Composed, versatile, and service-oriented, Camille brings a positive presence to the Community Department, engaging directly with players through workshops, play days, and community events. An avid tennis player, her forward-thinking approach and dedication to service make her a valuable asset to the organization.

Small Town Beginnings

Camille grew up in Hickory, North Carolina, in a close-knit community alongside her parents and younger sister. 

“Hickory is a really small town, so growing up everyone knew each other and their business,” Camille recalled. “I had a pretty steady group of best friends throughout all of my childhood, and my sister and I spent most of our time with them outdoors, creating our own entertainment. We lived in the middle of the woods, so there were a lot of forts built and shoes muddied playing with the crawdads in the creek.” 

Alongside time spent with friends, music became an early passion. Camille studied classical piano through weekly Suzuki-method lessons, performing in recitals and regional competitions that helped build discipline and focus early on. She still keeps a keyboard in her home in Los Angeles and occasionally plays favorites like the Succession theme song, Mendelssohn’s Venetian Gondola song and Grieg’s Notturno. 

Lifelong Connection to Sports

Camille’s first introduction to tennis came at age four, inspired by her father and reinforced by a family legacy of sports on her mother’s side.

“My dad got me into tennis because he started playing as an adult with his college roommate after years of playing baseball, basketball, golf, and just about every other sport. “He would constantly take me out to our local parks and country club to hit,” Camille shared. 

Camille’s maternal great grandmother played growing up and later transitioned into other sports, including softball and bowling. Camille still remembers a photo of the two hitting tennis balls against the garage door at her childhood home.

“I don’t remember life without tennis, which is a pretty interesting feeling since there’s so much change that we experience in life,” acknowledged Camille. “I’m glad this is one thing that has stayed a consistent positive.”

Before tennis fully became her primary sport, she also played recreational soccer throughout elementary school, which served as her main focus for a time despite continuing tennis lessons. Nearly everyone at her school participated, and her father and a friend’s mother even coached one of her teams. She eventually stepped away in middle school as the sport became more physical and competitive, realizing she preferred less contact-heavy environments, which further reinforced her focus on tennis. Her father also briefly introduced her to golf, though she mostly enjoyed riding along in the cart during 18 holes.

Camille competed on both her middle and high school tennis teams at Hickory High School, where her father coached her middle school team. She enjoyed the co-ed format and later grew into a consistent contributor in a more structured high school program that earned multiple conference titles and regional appearances, competing in both singles and doubles as she progressed.

By senior year, however, Camille began to experience burnout and ultimately stepped away from competitive tennis. She stopped lessons after her junior year and shifted her focus toward academics.

Foundation in Public Service

As her family relocated to Asheville in 2017, Camille began her freshman year at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where she studied political science with a focus on American politics and elections, driven by a growing interest in civic engagement and local policy issues.

“I was extremely passionate about voting rights and issues affecting us locally like redistricting and gerrymandering,” said Camille.

That interest carried into hands-on experience throughout college, where she helped run student voter registration drives each year, followed the news closely, and interned with a local county party. Civic engagement quickly became a central part of her undergraduate experience. Outside of politics, she also worked at a local independent theater in downtown Asheville, a historic venue that attracted both regular patrons and visitors.

“That was an extremely fun break from my studies because I’ve always been a lover of film and TV,” added Camille. 

By the time she graduated, Camille knew she wanted to continue her education. While many political science students pursued law school, she was not interested in that path. Instead, a professor encouraged her to explore a Master of Public Administration. She applied to programs at George Washington University, New York University, and the University of Southern California (USC), ultimately choosing USC and moving to Los Angeles in the summer of 2021, where she would go on to earn her Master of Public Administration with a specialization in city and county management.

“Grad school was intense. We only had class once a week, but the workload was heavy,” Camille stated. “Coming from a background in election work, I was more interested in the administrative side of government compared to the more research-based and statistical side of public policy.” 

Across both her undergraduate and graduate studies, her focus remained rooted in public service and community impact, which ultimately shaped her career direction.

Finding Her Path in Tennis

In the midst of finishing her degree, Camille explored full-time opportunities in local government and recreation, including roles in parks, community programs, and even short-term tennis coaching. She connected with Esther Hendershott, USTA Southern California’s Director of Community Tennis & DEI, who founded the Pasadena Tennis Association, specifically to inquire about coaching opportunities there. Around the same time, she came across a summer internship with USTA SoCal, applied, and was accepted as a Summer Associate in 2023.

The experience introduced her to the breadth of Southern California tennis, from junior and adult programs to community-based initiatives. She supported events including the SoCal Pro Series and gained firsthand experience in how the organization serves players across all levels.

When a full-time role opened in the Community Department, Camille joined as a Community Tennis Coordinator in September 2023.

Expanding Access with USTA SoCal

Within her role, Camille works across a wide range of initiatives aimed at growing the game and expanding access throughout Southern California.

“I oversee our partnerships with afterschool programs, including recreation and parks. I would say all of us in the Community Department wear many different hats, so we all end up sharing responsibilities and working across all areas we cover.”

Her responsibilities include supporting NJTLs and CTAs, leading workshops for afterschool staff, assisting with coaching resources, and helping organize provider events, play days, and community-based programming. She also manages a grant from the LA84 Foundation that supports afterschool tennis programming in underserved communities across Southern California, helping expand seasonal programming at middle schools and Boys & Girls Clubs in San Bernardino and Imperial Counties to roughly 10 sites, which she considers one of her proudest accomplishments.

“What I enjoy most about my role is that it is flexible and ever-changing. I don’t have one specific task that I am pigeon holed into doing,” Camille said. “There’s always something new and creative to work on.”

That mindset has allowed her to contribute beyond day-to-day programming, including supporting grant writing efforts such as a recent CalVIP application, an area she first became interested in during graduate school.

She also points to her ongoing partnership with SAY San Diego as especially meaningful. After leading a workshop at the organization’s annual conference, USTA SoCal was invited back for a second year, with opportunities to expand programming even further.

“I always appreciate when we can sustain a partnership past just one or two interactions, so the fact that they were interested in having us back this year and expanding to more sites means a lot.”

Returning to Competition

When she is not working, Camille is often on the court, having rediscovered her love for tennis in Los Angeles. She regularly joins LVBL Club liveball sessions and, over the past year, has also immersed herself in USTA League tennis.

“My colleague  Bryan Hudson asked me to join a mixed 8.0 team last spring, and since then I’ve played in a few mixed leagues, including 8.0 and 9.0, as well as 4.0 women’s doubles,” commented Camille. “My team, the Unforced Terrors, actually just won the Fall 4.0 women’s doubles sectionals in Palm Springs in January! It’s been really fun getting back into competitive play and working on becoming a better doubles player.”

While competition looks different than it once did, her perspective on the game has evolved. She now values the social and collaborative aspects of doubles, and the opportunity for steady improvement. Even areas that once caused nerves, like serving, have become chances for growth.

“I used to be so nervous about serving, but after practicing with my teams and playing so many matches this last year, I feel more confident about getting the ball into the service box,” added Camille. 

A Trusted Teammate

The team-first and positive qualities that define Camille on the court are the same ones that have made her such a valued presence within the Community Department.

“Camille is always cool, calm, and collected both at work and on the court. My favorite memory is partnering with her in 9.0 mixed doubles. We didn’t win the match, but we fought back to keep things interesting. No matter how much we were down, Camille remained positive, determined, and a supportive partner,” Bryan shared.  

“Camille has grown tremendously since joining the Community Department, and I’m thrilled to have her on our team, Esther said. “Her strong work ethic, ability to connect with our Community Tennis providers, NJTLSs, and strengths in research and grant writing make her an incredible asset to USTA SoCal,” 

Finding Balance

Outside of tennis, Camille remains active and engaged in many ways. She enjoys hiking and long walks, and has developed a strong interest in lagree fitness, which provides a low-impact but challenging complement to time spent on the court. She has also recently tried padel, adding another racket sport to her repertoire.

In quieter moments, she enjoys reading narrative nonfiction, particularly books by Erik Larson, and exploring new restaurants with friends. A self-described film and television enthusiast, she is also a frequent moviegoer and AMC A-lister. 

Camille also has a creative side most might not expect. 

“Most people wouldn’t know that I was a theater kid,” Camille revealed. “I danced for years and took singing and acting classes at a local theater company. I also participated in school plays and skits for my elementary school talent shows, which is funny to think about now because you would never catch me performing in front of a crowd today.” 

The Road Ahead

As she continues to grow in her role, Camille remains focused on strengthening relationships across the community tennis landscape. She is particularly interested in expanding outreach to providers who may not yet be fully connected to available resources and support.

Beyond tennis, she is also considering becoming a certified lagree instructor, combining her passion for fitness with her desire to stay active in new ways.