Bella Lewis always knew BYU was where she wanted to attend school. Growing up in Lehi, Utah, a 20-mile drive from campus, she made it her goal to play tennis at BYU and she did just that.
However, in addition to her own realization, her mother, Tara, also played tennis here.
“My whole goal was to be able to be as good as my mom for a long time,” Lewis said.
At the age of 4, Lewis started practicing tennis with her mom. She explained that her mom wanted to give Lewis and her four siblings a chance to see if they liked tennis.
“I would go out and practice with her, I started to become pretty regular, and I did tournaments when I was closer to 10 years old, and have liked it ever since,” Lewis said.
Alongside competing in tennis tournaments, Lewis played competitive soccer for five years. She was going to practice tennis with her mom at 6 a.m. to be able to manage both sports.
“It got to a point where I was like, okay, I can’t quite do this full time as much as I want to,” Lewis said. “My parents told me if you wanted to play at BYU, that's what you want, you’re going to have to practice, and my mom knew how to get me there."
Her mom served not only as her inspiration, but as her mentor and tennis partner. Lewis needed someone to practice with on early mornings, and her mom was with her every step of the way.
“I ended up choosing tennis, and I loved it, and I kept going with it,” Bella said.
Lewis had no regrets about sticking with tennis. She continued playing for her high school team, playing in USTA tournaments, and practicing with her mother when she had the chance.
“My mom works as a full-time software engineer, which is crazy, she is such a hard worker," Lewis said. “She would wake up super early and run, then she’d practice with me.”
In the back of Lewis’s mind, BYU was it. She didn’t talk to other colleges too seriously because if BYU could become her reality, that was what she wanted.
“I knew the coach because my mom played on the same team with our head coach right now, Holly Hasler. They were friends, and I knew what I needed to work on,” said Lewis.
Being grateful for that connection, Hasler eventually reached out to Lewis to set up meetings and an official visit. Just three days after her visit, she committed. It was a pretty straightforward process for Lewis.
“My mom and my dad were so excited because they met at BYU," Lewis said. "My mom knew she had a great experience here, and she was so happy that I was able to get the same thing."
Lewis has been shown how special of a place BYU is through her parents and her grandparents. Being able to play has been something precious for the Lewis family as their legacy at BYU carries on.
“My mom would tell me how you get to meet all these new fun athletes, work hard as a team, get amazing free gear and food, the coaches, and just how it is such a blessing and a privilege to be here,” Lewis said.
Lewis’ dad has also been a huge role model in her success at getting to BYU.
“They both taught me you can do anything you want to do, but you have to get after it or else nothing is going to happen,” Lewis said.
This piece of advice has stuck with Lewis, helping her achieve what she has. Getting up before anyone else to get some practice in, putting in the hours, and having all the support she had and has now has helped her get to her D1 position. Lewis has now entered her sophomore season.
“I feel a lot more comfortable and confident in my communication with the coaches and the team. I feel like our team culture is awesome,” said Lewis. “I try to be a leader as much as I can in whatever that shows up. I feel like I unlocked some things I am excited for this year, it’ll be so fun."
Tara Lewis showed her daughter what being a hard worker looks like, and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Bella feels lucky to have her family supporting her in the crowd.