Good dreams don’t come cheap, as the saying goes. It’s an adage to which former Peruvian tennis pro and longtime Davis County resident Pati Adamson adheres.

After decades of teaching tennis and inspiring local kids to be their best selves, she got tired of constantly trying to find available courts.

“Sometimes we were literally praying courts would be empty,” she remembers, although other times she had regular contracts at courts like the North Canyon Swim and Tennis Club, Salt Lake Tennis Club and more. 

For years, she and husband Scott dreamed of owning their own courts. 

“It was totally scary to make that jump,” said Adamson. “So, so scary. I was doubting a lot. My whole family was praying.” 

She smiles when she remembers how her answer came one day in Walmart when she was praying, “Should I do it or not?” She was buying folders for tennis students when she spotted one with a picture of a llama saying, “No problema.” “That was my answer,” she laughed. “Because that’s how God talks to me.”

After many challenges, Ace Athletics Tennis Academy in Farmington became an official company in 2017.

“We sold our souls, took out loans, and will be in debt till the second coming, but we’re doing what we love and helping so many people,” said Adamson. 

How successful has it been? “More and more people are coming for lessons and I see the results in what they’re learning but also in improving their lives,” Adamson said. “We aren’t getting rich. We left our really nice home in Bountiful and moved into one that’s like the little house on the prairie. We have no heat, there are mice, and holes everywhere. We are sacrificing a lot. 

“But our goal is not about getting rich,” she continued. “It’s helping us survive and be happy while we’re working. One day maybe we’ll be totally profitable. Meanwhile, we’re paying off our debt and we have our family engaged and involved. Work is the glue that keeps families together. We laugh and we cry. It’s been such a great experience.” 

Adamson attributes her strong work ethic to growing up in Peru. “Nothing is easy in a Third World Country,” she said. 

A latecomer to tennis, she started at age 14 and remembers playing eight to 10 hours a day to catch up. That eventually netted her a spot on Peru’s pro team and eligible for the Olympics when she contracted hepatitis and was down for a year. Coaching became her new passion. She was named Utah tennis coach of the year in 2009, has coached 12 USTA team tennis state championship teams, 10 sectional champions and many regional champions.

Adamson’s eye is always on the future and how she can change lives for generations to come. She keeps letters from teens over the years thanking her for making them into better people as well as better tennis players. 

“God has given us so many opportunities to help others,” Adamson said. “And that’s the main reason we do this.”

Future plans are underway for three additional indoor courts to add to the six courts currently available.