.png)
Mike Hollman Adaptive Tennis Award
Earlier this month, Michael “Mike” Hollman would have celebrated his 74th birthday surrounded by family and friends. Instead, those who knew and loved him gathered to mark his first heavenly birthday and honor a life defined by connection, generosity, and grace.
Cancer may have taken Mike too soon, but it never defined him. As his favorite—and only—sister, Patrice Hollman, so beautifully put it, “My brother out-graced cancer.” He met every challenge with spiritual grace, kindness, and resilience, carrying those qualities with him until his final breath.
At Mike’s Celebration of Life, held at Westwood Swim & Tennis Club in Winston-Salem, Patrice was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and the stories shared about her brother. Family and friends spoke alongside student-athletes he coached, neighbors, community leaders, business colleagues, and countless others whose lives he touched simply because he made a point of caring about people.
Once Mike connected with you, you mattered. That was the way he lived.
Now, that same spirit of connection will continue through a named NC Tennis Foundation Award presented to an individual including an athlete, coach, volunteer or an organization who demonstrates sustained commitment to enhancing and growing adaptive tennis.
It was fitting, then, that a conversation at Mike’s Celebration of Life with Kelly Gaines, Executive Director of the North Carolina Tennis Foundation and USTA-NC, led Patrice to explore a lasting legacy in Mike’s memory—one that would carry his name forward while continuing to support something he cared deeply about.
That vision has become a reality with the Michael Hollman Adaptive Tennis Award, which was presented for the first time, carrying Mike’s name, Saturday, September 26, at the USTA-NC Awards Luncheon. The newly named award was introduced by Mike's friend, Alex Rucker, and Lou Welch, Executive Director, Abilities Tennis of North Carolina.
The Michael Hollman Adaptive Tennis Award joined nine other awards that recognized individuals who have made a meaningful difference through tennis. Its first recipient was Jessie Taliaferro, Chairman of the USTA-NC Adaptive Committee, and a volunteer whose commitment has helped enhance and grow adaptive tennis. Like Mike, Taliaferro gives generously of her time and talents to make the game more accessible and welcoming to players with physical, sensory, cognitive, or emotional disabilities.
Mike devoted countless volunteer hours to the Abilities Tennis Association of NC. He understood that tennis could be so much more than a game: it could create connection, build confidence, open doors, and remind people that they belong.
It is fitting that an award bearing Mike’s name will celebrate others who carry that same spirit forward.
Mike was a humble and courageous man, a dedicated volunteer, and someone with a remarkable ability to leave things—and people—better than he found them. His legacy lives in the kindness he extended, the confidence he inspired, and the countless lives made better because he cared. Through this award, that legacy will continue each time tennis becomes more welcoming, more accessible, and more connected.
