Indy Standard

Sage Williams, a 10-year-old student at Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), has been named a finalist in the 2025 USTA/Midwest Tennis and Education Foundation NJTL Essay Contest. The contest invited students from National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) chapters across the Midwest to write about overcoming challenges under the theme “Growing Through the Game.”

Sage’s essay was recognized for its honesty and reflection, drawing on personal experiences such as starting kindergarten remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic and moving between schools to find the right support for his learning needs. In the 2023–2024 school year, Sage participated in Homebound, a therapeutic academic program supported by IPS that provided individualized assistance.

“The Homebound program gave us hope,” said his mother, Dr. Brooke Moreland, who serves as research and publications chair for the Peace and Justice Studies Association. “Sage needed a small, nurturing environment, and he finally had a team that believed in him.”

Dr. Moreland also described how remote learning made it difficult for Sage to learn foundational skills when he began kindergarten in 2020. To address these challenges, his family arranged tutoring and enrolled him in social development programs.

The difficulties Sage faced inspired his family to create Ready2BSocial in 2021—a program aimed at helping children improve their social skills after setbacks caused by the pandemic.

Outside of academics, Sage enjoys exploring nature, drawing insects he finds outdoors, visiting new playgrounds, and trying different foods like ramen from Jungle Jim’s International Market. After joining NJTL tennis lessons, he became an enthusiastic participant and competed in his first tournament this summer.

“Sage’s story and spirit represent exactly what this program is all about—using tennis as a tool to build character, confidence, and community,” said Dax Lowery, executive director of NJTL of Indianapolis.