USTA League Captain, Peacemaker Cabane of Doral Named Florida Tennis Volunteer of the Month

Like any competitive sport, tempers sometime flair in the realm of USTA League tennis, where recreational tennis and highly-competitive play meet in the middle — sometimes not amicably.

USTA League captain Armando Cabane of Doral, in the ultra-highly-competitive region of Miami-Dade County, has been a peacemaker in the Miami area for the past 17 years of captaining USTA League teams.

“During a league match this season, there was an altercation between the teams,” says USTA Florida Local League Coordinator for the Miami area Donna Kass. “Armando was able to calm the players so they could resume the match in a friendly manner. He has a great rapport with all the local league coordinators, captains and players, and it is a joy to have him in our league.”

This year thus far he has captained his 18 & Over 4.5 team to a Florida sectionals championship, and his 40 & Over 4.0 team to a sectionals runner-up finish. In 2016 and 2014 he captained teams to 3rd and 4th place finishes at the USTA League National Championships.

“Armando began captaining when he was at the 3.5 level, 17 years ago,” Kass says. “Even though he has been unable to play this year, he still accompanied his team to sectionals to help them make it to the 40 & Over 4.0 finals. His 18 & Over 4.5+ team also participated in sectionals in August.”

An avid player, Cabane has agonized on the sidelines this year after a total knee replacement in 2016. Five surgeries later, he is still working on getting back on court, attributing his captaining duties with keeping him sane.

“It has been a struggle, but my involvement with the teams has been key to both my physical and my emotional recovery from the ordeal I’ve had to go through,” he says.

Before volunteering as a USTA League captain, life, says Cabane, was just about work. Now he says he has a great social circle of friends and fellow players, all due to tennis.

“I love the sport,” he says. “I thoroughly enjoy the competition and interaction with my peers. I consider it a sport for a lifetime.”

USTA Florida thanks and congratulates Armando Cabane as the December 2017 Florida Tennis Volunteer of the Month for his selfless service to his teams, helping keep the peace in USTA League play, and spreading the love of the game in the Miami area.

ABOUT ARMANDO

Birthplace: Guatemala City, Guatemala
Family: Wife, Chiara and daughter Nicoletta
Favorite Movie: A Few Good Men
Favorite Food: Sushi
Favorite Travel: Cancun
Favorite Shot: Serve

My earliest tennis memory was…”Watching Bjorn Borg win Wimbledon in 1980!”

If I could play tennis with three people, they would be…”John McEnroe, Guillermo Vilas, and Bjorn Borg.”

When I am not playing tennis I am…Enjoying time with my family and of course the post-tennis gathering with the team.”

My best tennis memory is…”Winning the 2014 18 & Over 4.0 USTA Florida League Sectional Championships.”