By HARRIET PROTHRO PENROD, Journal Sports
It doesn’t take Judit Castillo-Gargallo long to feel at home in a new environment. When she left her hometown of Teruel, Spain in August 2016 and landed in the United States for the first time, she was just beginning her college tennis career at Northwestern State.
The fact that Castillo-Gargallo had never been to this country and couldn’t even speak English did not deter the outgoing Spaniard from quickly adapting to the new environment.
“It was a family atmosphere from the beginning,” says Gargallo, who now feels at home as a tennis pro at Pierremont Oaks Tennis Club. “My first impression when I got to Natchitoches was that the people were warm and welcomed me. They showed me that they were there for me no matter what.”
Over her five-and-one-half years at NSU, Castillo-Gargallo became one of the most popular – and successful – tennis players in Lady Demon history. In addition to finishing her college career tied for No. 8 in all-time wins with 54, she was named to the Southland Conference All-Academic Team three times.
Gargallo came to Northwestern as one of the top junior players in Spain after winning several national junior tournaments. After four years as an undergraduate, she was granted an extra year because of COVID-19. After finishing her playing career, Castillo-Gargallo decided to stay at NSU to get her master’s degree.
During her first semester as a graduate student, she served as a graduate assistant in the athletic fitness department, worked as a strength and conditioning coach and helped with the women’s tennis team.
While transitioning from competitive tennis to student and coaching was an adjustment, Castillo-Gargallo fell into the new roles with her usual enthusiasm.
“When I was playing (on the tennis team), I would wake up, do weight training at 6 a.m., go to class, practice, shower, and then do homework,” says Castillo-Gargallo. “Then I wasn’t doing that anymore. It’s always an adjustment when you’re used to competing and then you aren’t anymore. But I was still in that mindset. I was still trying to train.”
By this time, the only tennis Gargallo was playing was recreationally. “I was hitting with the tennis community and helping with the team,” she says.
Then came the opportunity to travel to Shreveport to play on a team in the St. Jude’s tennis tournament at Pierremont Oaks.
“It was the first time I had competed in a tournament after college,” says Castilo-Gargallo, “and we won it.”
Across the court during one of the matches at the St. Jude tournament was Todd Walker, the former LSU baseball star, former major leaguer, and inductee of the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. While Walker was a regular – and popular – tennis player at POTC, Gargallo had no idea who he was.
“MLB, MLB,” says Castillo-Gargallo. “I didn’t know what that meant.”
After their match, Castillo-Gargallo explained to Walker that one of the reasons she wanted to play in the tennis tournament was to promote a 5K marathon she was helping to organize. She had brought a bunch of posters with her, hoping to hang them around the club to advertise the event.
“Do you have any power here?” Castillo-Gargallo joked with Walker.
“I know who to ask,” replied Walker, who took some flyers and walked into the pro shop.
Thinking Walker was just asking POTC pro Grady Wilson about hanging up some posters, Castillo-Gargallo patiently waited outside the pro shop. Little did she know he was telling Wilson that Pierremont Oaks needed to hire her – as soon as possible.
Castillo-Gargallo had a feeling that Shreveport might be her next home.
“When I left here and got back to Natchitoches, Grady checked to see if I made it back safely,” she recalls. “The next Thursday, I was working with the football team (as a fitness instructor) and I got an email at 7 a.m. about coming to work here. During that morning, Grady and I exchanged emails about coming to work at Pierremont. I had the same feeling that I had had when I first got to Natchitoches. I just knew I wanted to be here.”
The same determination, drive, and outgoing personality that quickly drew the Natchitoches community to Castillo-Gargallo was having the same effect on the tennis community in Shreveport.
Since joining the POTC staff at the beginning of the year, Castillo-Gargallo has created a fitness program at the tennis club that involves personal and private training as well as fitness training on the tennis court.
In addition to teaching tennis lessons and running the fitness program, Castillo-Gargallo has continued to play competitively. On Sunday, she and Brian Irvin captured the Open Mixed Doubles title at The City Championships at The Bossier Tennis Center.
Whether on the tennis court or in the training room, Castillo-Gargallo knows she has found her new home. And it didn’t take her parents long to see that when they came to visit and celebrate their daughter getting her master’s degree.
“They could tell I was happy and felt at home here,” says Castillo-Gargallo. “When people asked them if I was coming back, they just smiled and said, ‘No.’”
Photo by JOHN PENROD