Co-Founder/ Coach

Roger Lu

I'm Roger, a professional tennis coach with a U.S. tennis coaching license and the founder of United Through Sports. I have nearly eight years of teaching experience in New York. My focus extends beyond tennis instruction

—I aim to harness the power of sports to impact and support young people.

My passion for philanthropy stems from a simple belief: 

Every child has the right to enjoy the joy of sports and the opportunity to be accepted and recognized. I have witnessed the profound changes that sports can bring it boosting children's confidence, focus, and social skills

Co- founder/ Director of Outreach

Claire Lu

"As the Co-Founder of United Through Sports, I am driven by the belief that every child, regardless of their developmental path, deserves a space to belong and thrive.

My work at United Through Sports is where my passion for community equity meets my expertise in operational strategy. Beyond the mission, I am dedicated to building the 'engine' that allows our impact to scale—bridging the gap between vision and execution by architecting seamless digital platforms, optimizing volunteer ecosystems, and crafting communication strategies that resonate with families and partners alike.

I don't just aim to grow our reach; I am committed to ensuring that every system we build is rooted in empathy, making our 'Love and Care Program' as efficient as it is impactful. I am here to forge the connections and infrastructures that transform potential into progress for the youth of Long Island."

Special Advisor & Strategic Lead

Maggie Zhang

Maggie brings a decade of experience across marketing, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and strategic partnerships. Her work has spanned market strategy, stakeholder engagement, business development, partnerships, and early-stage growth across AI, education, hardware, healthcare, and consumer products.

At the organization, Maggie leads corporate partnerships and advises on strategic external engagement. She works with corporate partners to develop sponsorships and long-term collaborations, while helping shape partnership strategy, evaluate opportunities, and ensure that external relationships align with the organization’s mission and long-term goals.

Volunteers' Shared Experience

My experience and volunteering at United Through Sports has taught me many valuable lessons. Number one: communication. Communication isn’t simply just words, it’s also understanding and encouraging. Number two: safety. I realized that correcting the children and being strict with them wasn’t the correct thing to do. This program helped me realize that the kids should feel supported and okay to try again, making the tennis court a safe environment for them to learn in. Lastly, patience. Teaching tennis for children with disabilities really showed me how to talk to them with patience and showing them support every step of the way.

This experience truly showed me how to consider the situation from all sorts of angles and it taught me how to be inviting instead of standing in a corner too scared to even talk. It showed me the progress isn’t really how well the children can play. It’s really the communication, safety and patience, encouraging them to try again.

During my volunteer work at United Through Sports, I built meaningful connections with children with special needs. At first, communication was challenging, but through patience, smiles, and shared activities such as games and creative projects, we gradually learned to understand one another.

This experience taught me that communication is not only about words, but also about empathy and respect. It helped me become more compassionate and open-minded, and showed me the true value of kindness and inclusion. I hope to continue serving my community and supporting those who need care and understanding.

In the time of focusing on teaching tennis for children with difficulties, what I have gained is not only to see the progress of children swinging the ball, but also to understand the essence of education in getting along with every unique life, not "shaping", but "awakening", not "correcting", but "accepting". These children who are labeled as "problems" may have trouble of concentration, may have emotional sensitivity out of control, or may have the timidity of social retreat, but the moment they hold the tennis racket, what I see is never a "problem", but a pure heart eager to be seen and recognized.

While volunteering with United Through Sports, I found joy in helping children with special needs learn. On the tennis court, progress rarely came on the first try, but that's okay because what mattered more was that they felt safe enough to keep trying, a sense of safety that the tennis court provided for. Every missed swing became an invitation to try again, and each voluntary return to the court felt like a milestone. This experience made me realize that true, meaningful growth starts when people are encouraged to be themselves and feel safe to make mistakes.