Recent grad is living CA’s mission of “Individual Growth. Global Purpose.”
Tennis player Chase Harding ’26 brought donated rackets and equipment to his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, because he wanted to host a tennis clinic for kids and foster a love for the sport that he enjoys so much at Cheshire Academy.
His efforts did not go unnoticed: First NBC Connecticut featured the 2026 graduate, and now his story has reached the summer issue of NEPSAC News, a magazine of the New England Prep School Athletic Council.
“In Jamaica, tennis is not one of the sports that is very exposed,” Chase explained in the story. “Jamaica is known for track and field.” He recognized that tennis requires resources that often cost money many families on the island don’t have, so he decided to change that.
With donated equipment from his tennis coach in Jamaica, Chase and his team set up portable nets on gravel and spent the day teaching basic tennis skills to local youth.
“Just to know that I was the one to physically place a racket in their hands, that’s just a great feeling,” he said. Sometimes that he’s calm in the middle of the chaos is the leadership quality that you’re looking for.”
At Cheshire Academy, Chase refined his game under the guidance of Coach Robert “Chip” Boyd P’98,’10, working toward ambitious goals of representing Jamaica on the national level and playing college tennis. But his vision extends far beyond personal achievement.
“It’s great to see what he’s doing,” said Coach Boyd. “I think there’s a lot of good to be developed through tennis in Jamaica.”
Read Chase’s story in the latest issue of NEPSAC News:
