Our daughter Frances earned something extraordinary — and we need your help to get her there. 
 
Frances is 9 years old. She is a 3rd grader, a San Diego native, and the daughter of a U.S. Navy Senior Chief. She is also the All-Japan Aomori Prefectural Elementary Tennis Champion — and she just qualified directly into the Japan Tennis Association National Elementary Tournament, scheduled for August 2026. 

She did it by competing against kids two and three years older than her. Every tournament. Every time. 

Here's the part that breaks our hearts. 

Our family just completed a military PCS from Naval Air Facility Misawa, Japan, back home to San Diego — a move we had been looking forward to. And then, a week before we left, Frances qualified for Nationals, winning the Aomori Prefecture Championship without dropping a single game throughout the tournament. 

The problem is that "home" is now 5,700 miles from the National tournament. 

And her father — a Senior Chief in the U.S. Navy, the person who has driven her to every practice, cheered at every match, and believed in her from the very beginning — gets underway SOON. He will be gone at sea and will miss her training. He will miss her return to Japan. He may miss the biggest match of her life. 

Frances is going to compete anyway. That's who she is. 

She picked up a racket at age 5 during COVID. She has been ranked #1 in Aomori Prefecture for over 48 consecutive weeks. She holds a Japanese national ranking of #96 in Japan's 12U division (which she accomplished in 1 year of competing overseas). She won the last four state championship tournaments she entered — all while competing up an age group. Her coach said she "won convincingly at just 9 years old." 

Off the court, she is a 3rd-grade student who tests at a 6th-grade level in Math and Reading. She has won leadership awards at two different schools. In her own words: "I like tennis because I can play against the big kids. It doesn't matter how old you are if you work hard." 

Stars and Stripes featured her story in March 2026 — you can read it here: 

<a href="https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2026-03-26/dodea-student-tennis-star-japan-21184588.htmltarget=_blankrel=noreferrer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2026-03-26/dodea-student-tennis-star-japan-21184588.html" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2026-03-26/dodea-student-tennis-star-japan-21184588.html</a></a> 

What we need help with: 

Preparing Frances for the National Tournament and getting her back to Japan. 

This summer, Frances will train at the Early Development Camp at Barnes Tennis Center — one of the top junior development programs in Southern California. That means five days a week of group training plus two private lessons a week with elite-level coaching. It is the preparation she needs to compete at a national level in Japan in August. 

Here is exactly where every dollar goes: 

Private coaching sessions: 2 per week × $125 × 8 weeks = $2,000 

Getting to Japan 

Round-trip airfare for Frances and her mother: $4,200 

Tournament registration and JTA fees: $300 

Accommodation near the tournament venue: $1,000 

Gear, equipment, and travel incidentals: $800 

Total needed: $8,300 

We are a military family on a military salary. Frances' dad will be at sea. We are asking you to help her show up ready. Ready to compete. Ready to win. 
 
What your donations can covwr: 
 
AMOUNT WHAT IT COVERS 

$25. Private lessons co-pay 

$125. 1 full private lessons 

$4200. Round-trip airfare 

$8,300. FULL CAMPAIGN GOAL

Theresa Benavidez

Anonymous

Help Military Child Afford Her Spot At Nationals

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Help Military Child Afford Her Spot At Nationals

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