We asked Ethan and Clara's father James Tiong a few questions about his experience:

ACE: How has the journey been for you son Ethan?
 
JT: Ethan was 6 years old when he started his first year at ACE in the 2012 progressive program. Brandon Alguire was the coach and Ethan used to call him "fun Brandon", because he always played a fun game at the end of the session. Ethan laughed and jumped for joy every time.
 
When Brandon was transferred to coach the competitive stream, Ethan knew Brandon could only be his coach again if he joined the competitive stream too!
 
After a year of participating in the progressive program, Ethan joined the competitive camp during the summer with Kyrylo. We can remember the coach said 'Ethan was an odd kid'. He cried because of the soreness from his legs, yet he always finished the task while crying. He persevered and progressed through the entire competitive skills development program. One of his best memories was playing "cow" from Futures through the National program since it was fun and competitive.
 
ACE: What has it been like for you both to witness as parents?
 
JT: As parents, we are thankful the ACE vision, experience, and competitive infrastructure has had a positive influence towards parents and players alike - in addition to maintaining a competitive edge in tennis, the kids (and parents) are in general polite, respectful to the game and to fellow players.
 
ACE: What impact would you say Ace had on the overall development of Ethan and Clara?
 
JT: We want to raise our kids well-rounded. In addition to sports, they also have achievements in academics and in music. ACE has a positive impact since the competitive nature of tennis and the program set up instil discipline and grit in them, which are important traits to succeed in life.
 
As for Clara, her intention is pure and simple: "I just want to beat Ethan".
 
ACE: Your family must basically feel like a part of the Ace Family - how has that process been?
 
JT: Other than our house, we spend most of our time at ACE. There is never a boring moment at the ACE family.  We learn together, we root for each other, and we even share snacks. The strong bond among coaches, parents, and players can only be described as "family".

Ethan working on his serve with coach Brandon.
Perfect harmony!