WCRS

09/08/2026

09/08/2026

WCRS President Bunny Bruning Shares Her Journey

Bunny Bruning reflects on her journey and remembers a time on the women’s tennis tour when everyone knew who was gay—but nobody asked.

A powerful story of courage, authenticity, belonging, and the evolution of women’s tennis and the LGBTQ+ community within the sport.

WCRS Outsports Racquet Sports Professionals Association

Bunny Bruning remembers a women’s tennis tour where everyone knew who was gay, and nobody asked

09/08/2026

Women Coaching Racquet Sports Spotlight: Milena Vidos 🎾

Creating more seats at the table.

One of the things Milena Vidos is most passionate about is creating opportunities for women in racquet sports.

Milena came to the United States from Brazil through tennis—a sport that opened doors and created opportunities that completely changed the direction of her life. She began her career as a coach, and over the years, her journey evolved into coach education, program development, and leadership.

As she stepped into leadership roles, she realized something important:

It’s not enough to have a seat at the table if you’re not helping create more seats for others.

That belief has become a cornerstone of how Milena defines leadership.

Throughout her career, she has worked to create programs and opportunities that encourage more women to become coaches, educators, mentors, and leaders. She has had the privilege of watching women who weren’t sure they were ready take a chance on themselves and then become the person encouraging the next woman to do the same.

That ripple effect is powerful.

Sometimes, women don’t need someone to give them permission. They need someone to recognize their potential, create the opportunity, and say:

“I see you. You’re ready. Go for it.”

And then, we need to make sure those opportunities truly exist.

Milena’s hope is that the next generation of women entering racquet sports won’t look at leadership and wonder whether there is a place for them. Instead, they will see women coaching, educating, leading organizations, making decisions, and shaping the future of our industry and know:

They belong there, too.

There’s a Portuguese phrase Milena loves:

“Juntas somos mais fortes.”
Together, we are stronger.

When women create opportunities for other women, we don’t just change individual careers we strengthen our entire industry.

(WCRS) Women Coaching Racquet Sports is proud to spotlight Milena Vidos and celebrate her commitment to opening doors, creating opportunities, and empowering the next generation of women in racquet sports.

Let’s keep creating more seats at the table.

09/04/2026

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09/04/2026

09/01/2026

WCRS Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Gabriela Garces

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are proud to spotlight Gabriela Garces—a dynamic racquet sports professional, somatic health coach, and leader redefining performance, resilience, and human potential.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Gabriela’s journey has been shaped by reinvention, immigration, discipline, and deep personal growth. Tennis was her first teacher—instilling structure, competitiveness, and mental toughness—but her evolution revealed something greater: true performance is not just technical—it is neurological, emotional, and embodied.

Over the past decade, Gabriela has built a multifaceted career in racquet sports, developing athletes across all ages and levels. From her early work in 10 & Under development and high-performance junior academies, including ESTRADA and ESTA Academies, to her contributions with USTA Net Generation and ADV tournaments, she has played a vital role in grassroots development and long-term athlete growth.

Her impact expanded into adult performance and team culture at Reunion Resort, where she fostered both technical excellence and strong team environments. As the sport evolved, so did Gabriela—embracing multi-racquet coaching across tennis, pickleball, and padel.

Today, she serves as Racquet Sports Professionals Association Sports Professional and Junior Coordinator at Isleworth Golf & Country Club, where she leads comprehensive junior development while continuing to coach adult players and competitive teams.

Beyond the court, Gabriela is also a Health and Somatic Coach, helping individuals reconnect mind and body, regulate their nervous systems, and build sustainable transformation. Her work is grounded in the belief that mental health impacts everyone, and she actively contributes to the global movement, using tools like STARR (Stress & Trauma Active Release & Rewiring) to build proactive resilience.

As the Founder of Cardinal Shift LLC, Gabriela integrates sport psychology, somatic awareness, and identity-level coaching to help individuals break limiting patterns and step into their full potential—both in sport and in life.
Her vision goes far beyond developing athletes. Gabriela is committed to shaping resilient, self-aware, and empowered human beings—individuals who understand their nervous systems, navigate stress with confidence, and thrive without needing to break down first.

💙 Thank you, Gabriela, for your leadership, authenticity, and for transforming lives on and off the court.

08/28/2026

July brought continued momentum in building opportunities for Love Serving Autism. 💙

With support from the Gusman Network, LSA submitted $70,000 in new grant requests, with an additional $110,325 in pending requests supporting programs and expansion efforts.

We’re grateful for the continued work behind the scenes to help expand access and create more opportunities for individuals with autism and unique abilities.

Together, we’re building toward greater impact.

08/28/2026

08/25/2026

WCRS SPOTLIGHT: MILLIE DIDIO

Leadership. Experience. Service. Advocacy.

This month, WCRS is proud to celebrate Millie Didio—an accomplished coach, former WTA/ITF professional player, educator, leader, and passionate advocate for women in racquet sports.

An Racquet Sports Professionals Association Elite Certified Tennis Professional, certified pickleball and padel professional, and former two-time WTA/ITF Tour player, Millie brings a wealth of experience and passion to everything she does.

Her impact extends far beyond the court. As a former USPTA/RSPA Eastern President and current Immediate Past President, Millie continues to champion female coach development, education, mentorship, networking, and leadership opportunities.

Her dedication has been recognized with the 2021 USPTA Eastern Major Contributor Award and 2022 USPTA Eastern Pro of the Year Award.

Beyond racquet sports, Millie is also a longtime humanitarian, supporting initiatives focused on education, women, youth, and community development—including helping bring tennis opportunities to communities and schoolchildren in Ghana.

Millie’s leadership is a reminder that true impact is measured not only by what we accomplish, but by the people we inspire, the opportunities we create, and the legacy we leave behind.

WCRS is proud to celebrate Millie Didio and her continued commitment to growing the game and creating more opportunities for women to lead!