CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. — It can be hard to drag Mya Anyan off the tennis court. She trains every day, but this 7-year-old from Exeter loves every minute.
”My tennis workout, sometimes it’s really hard," Anyan said. "Mostly, my dad teaches me so hard. That’s why I’m so good at tennis.”
Kevin Anyan is both dad, and coach. He and his wife, Sarah Anyan own ZFlexFitenss in Wyoming, but they noticed from a young age, Mya has something special with a racket in hand.
"She has it all: athleticism, skill," Anyan said of his daughter. "She’s coachable. She listens. I’m there to push her but she pushes herself and that’s one of the most important things if you want to be a great athlete."
She’s already is. Over Labor Day weekend, she placed 2nd in the Little Mo Regional Tournament in New York, and she was the youngest player in the field.
”It’s amazing seeing her compete against, even when she’s playing against the 12’s, the 10’s, the 9’s," the older Anyan explained. "She’s tiny right now. So, when they see her on the court, they’re like ‘we got this,’ but then when she comes out there and she fights, that’s like a magical moment right there.”
With the win, Anyan is now heading to the Little Mo Nationals next weekend in Texas.
”So excited!" Mya explained. "I’m super excited. I’m going to try to do my best and I’m going to try to win the biggest trophy.”
You don’t get to this stage without talent, work ethic and support. Anyan’s social media presence is impressive. You’ll find her under the name M3, short for her full name, Mya Mercedes Matilda Anyan.
”I like that they’re following me because it’s awesome," she said. "I want to work hard for those being that are supporting me and give it back to them.”
”I use social media to document the process and the journey because people set a goal and they think it’s from A to C, but they forget the B part," Kevin explained. "It’s all the process of humbling her and saying ‘hey, look. This is the process of us working to be better.’”
A process she’s enjoying.
”I like having fun, winning trophies and traveling," M3 said.
Next stop? Texas.