SPORTS: TAMIU looks to future of possible tennis teams

By Kaily Olivo
Assistant Sports Editor
Published Wednesday, April 9, 2025

With the completion of the tennis courts, the TAMIU Athletics Department welcomes the idea of forming tennis teams.

“As a university, … we’ve only had sports for 22 years,” Athletics Director Griz Zimmermann said. “We’re in our 23rd year of varsity sports; so, we’ve been talking for a few years now about where we would expand our varsity sports to. Of course, tennis is natural because we’ve been in the production of [the] courts and so we don’t have a timeline right now of exactly when, but in the near future, yes; we are going to announce [the] starting of men’s and women’s varsity tennis.”

This brand-new facility places Texas A&M International University one step closer to forming tennis teams.

“So, [the city], from their standpoint, they worked out the financial part of it … to come and say ‘This is how we can partner with you,’” Zimmermann recalled. “And so, … in order to get everything started, it just made common sense to have tennis [be] the next sport we start.”

These future varsity tennis teams are expected to be placed under the same conference, the Lone Star Conference, offer scholarships and tryouts open to students who already attend TAMIU.

“It’s very exclusive being able to play varsity sports … but at the end of the day, the tennis teams … will be run just as well as our other sports in all capacities,” Zimmermann said. “If somebody is on this campus right now and they have the talent to play and … they’re a freshman or sophomore and [if] we start the program next year or the year after … and they contact the coach … coach will give them a tryout.”

Still, this varsity sport would be open for anyone to try out, participate or join.

“If they’re interested in any level in tennis, they should check out the facility and talk to the people who work there,” Zimmermann said. “ … If they … keep their ear to the ground … [for] when the time comes that we announce that we’re gonna start tennis, they’ll be … ready.”

As for leadership, Tennis Director Jaime Donjuan would be a top contender for coach because of his previous coaching experience and successes in tennis.

“We have, currently, Jaime Donjuan, [who] was hired … from Laredo College …where he used to coach at and he’s well known in the community … [and] within the national scene,” Zimmermann explained. “So, when the time comes, he would for sure be the head tennis coach for men and women and then he would have at least one, maybe two assistant coaches.”

Donjuan’s main hope with this facility and tennis is to continue to progress.

 “I do have the coaching experience [because] I’ve been coaching for 23 years.” the tennis director said. “Under my direction, we won national championships and had great success. We are here, we get to play and this is the first step and hopefully we’ll start making jumps.”

Despite the excitement and ideas the new tennis courts bring, the Athletics Department works to offer more TAMIU sports.

“We’ve also discussed the possibility of starting track and field in the future as well,” Zimmermann said.