Nena Dorame (Navajo): Naat’áanii (Leader) Is My Middle Name

By Dan Ninham (Oneida)

Nena Dorame (Navajo), 16, junior, plays varsity tennis for the mighty Bulldogs of Albuquerque High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She plays at the #3 singles position and the #1 doubles position on the team.  Her doubles record is 24-10 and singles record is 29-5 with an overall record of 53-15.

Nina has also played for six years on the Junior Team for Tanoan Country Club in Albuquerque.  She has been to the Junior Team Tennis Nationals twice in South Carolina and Florida as well as other junior tournaments in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Texas.

“My family is from Ft. Defiance, AZ, although I grew up in Albuquerque, NM,” said Nena. “I am Tábąąhá (Water’s Edge) born for Naakai Dine’é (Mexican People). My maternal grandfather’s clan is Tótsohníí (Big Water) and my paternal grandfather’s clan is Naakai Dine’é. My mother, Monica Etsitty, is from Fort Defiance, Arizona and my father, Doug Dorame, is Mexican/Yaqui and from Tularosa, New Mexico.”

“As a parent, I quietly sit on the sideline watching my daughter Nena play in her matches and I know at times that matches can be very tense and stressful,” said Monica Etsitty Dorame. “I am always in awe of Nena because she handles pressure very well and has the ability to shake off being overwhelmed or anxious. She has always presented her mental strength, her focus and belief in herself. That is the essence of her leadership. Because she possesses these attributes she is seen as a leader of her team. Her teammates look up to her, they are confident in her ability and they respect her as a teammate.”

“As a leader, Nena also has to represent herself as a young Native woman in a world where there are few Native players. She is there to set an example and be a role model for other Native players and she is mentoring and coaching youth at the local parks and recreation program. The Navajo word for leader is Naat’áanii which is Nena’s given middle name,” added Monica.

“Everyday I try to give my teammates and coaches my best effort,” said Nena. “I offer up my leadership and help bring energy to the court. As a young Indigenous woman, I also do my best to represent my family and nation by serving as a role model and mentor for my teammates. I am extremely committed to practice, matches, tournaments, and the team: It’s important to me that I am at every match and practice to support others as well as do my part. I want to let others know that as long as we all act as a whole and give it our best, then we should all be proud of our accomplishments.”

“Even though tennis is often considered an ‘individual sport,’ it is grounded in community. As a Navajo person, I try to carry the values of reciprocity and balance onto the court with me every day. I appreciate each member of my team, as we all play an important role. Especially when I play doubles with my partner, Cienna Chavez, we work hard to communicate effectively, we balance each other out, and we are always aware of each other’s movements on the court. My team is always working together and at this point, feels like a family!” added Nena.

“College has always been encouraged and emphasized in our household,” said Nena. “My older sister, Dinée, attended Yale University and graduated in 2015. I hope to follow in her footsteps and attend a four-year college. Hopefully, I can continue my tennis career in college and I plan to work towards this goal.

“Tennis has been instrumental to my academic success, as it has been my outlet for the past eight years and allowed me to de-stress, build confidence, and stay healthy. I’ve learned to be resilient in the face of challenges and losses on the court, which is something that will help me in college and in each aspect of my life,” added Nena.

Nena shared: “First and foremost, my family has been the reason I’ve continued playing tennis. They are my biggest supporters and cheerleaders. My mom and dad have taken me to countless lessons, matches, and tournaments across the country. I truly wouldn’t be the player I am today without them. Since I was little, I’ve always looked up to my older sister Dine’e who was also a hardworking, successful student athlete. She was Metro Student Athlete of the Year during her high school basketball career.  She continues to be one of my biggest supporters and inspiration. Our entire family views athletics as an important experience in life and it is what keeps my strong motivation alive.”

Doug Dorame is the Athletic Director at Albuquerque High School. He is a 400+ game winning girls’ basketball and state runner up coach. He is also a state champion track coach and was on the track team at Colorado. Doug is also on the board of directors of the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.

Doug said: “It’s been fun to watch her progress in tennis. Our family has really enjoyed following and supporting Nena in tennis.”

“There have been some challenging times for Nena in tennis. Especially when we leave New Mexico and play in out-of-state regional or national tournaments. There are few Native American teens on the circuit and few role models for her in tennis. She’s been in tournaments where she has been the only player of color. At first it was difficult, but she has learned to handle that pressure. She’s had to sometimes play at exclusive country clubs across this nation that haven’t always been bastions of diversity. Not an easy challenge for a young teen. She has prospered and has the hope to play collegiate tennis. 

She won the prestigious Metro Championship in doubles last year. I often wondered if she was the first Native to win that championship,” added Doug.

Nena and her sister Dinée are the only children of Doug and Monica. Dinée is 10 years older. She played basketball well enough to be recruited at the NCAA DII and III levels and didn’t play tennis. After being accepted to Yale, she focused on academics. Dinée said: “I am extremely proud of Nena’s accomplishments, both on the court and in her community! Tennis can be a mentally tough sport, but Nena has always had the most calm and collected personality. I’m most proud that she’s always had exemplary sportsmanship and has done her best to represent our family and the Navajo Nation proudly.

“In tennis, Native people are often underrepresented, so I know Nena works hard to set a positive example for other aspiring Native athletes,” said Dinée. “We are lucky to both be part of the Albuquerque High School community, which has always celebrated diversity and intersectionality. Even so, I know my sister has faced adversity over the past eight years in a sport that is predominantly white, with many well-resourced players and teams. I think that’s what makes it so important to highlight young Indigenous student-athletes who are pushing back on the notion of what mainstream tennis looks like. I know Nena looks up to Serena, Naomi, and Coco as other strong women of color in the game and she hopes to set a similar example at a local level here in New Mexico.”

Tennis has taken Nena across the country. She played at the US National Tennis Center in Orlando in the summer of 2016. Her Tanoan Club Team qualified for USTA Junior Team Nationals. There were 120 courts in the complex. Her Tanoan Club won the USTA Junior Team Tennis Southwest Region in ‘16 and ‘17. Nena also played Junior Team Nationals.

“My coaches have had tremendous impact on my tennis career,” said Nena. “Coach Dick Johnson was my first coach who had fully accepted me and welcomed me from the first day. He was the person who always believed in me and was always there for me. He still cheers me on in all of my matches and will support me throughout anything. I want to thank him for all of his support and for being the person who made me realize my love for tennis. He is currently the Head Boys Varsity Tennis Coach at La Cueva High School.”

Dick Johnson, state champion boys’ coach for 15 of the past 19 years at La Cueva HS, said: “Nena’s dad Doug came looking for me when Nena was about nine years old. I was her original coach. She has had a nice career and a wonderful personality and smile. She has very strong team leadership. She had a good start with me. She had a foundation of strong technique with groundstrokes. I still pull her aside and tell her what she needs to do and she does it. She was on my USTA Junior Team between 10 and 12 years old.”

“My longtime private coach, Andy Cramer, has taught me the most important lessons in tennis and life. He has always pushed me to work hard and give my best effort in everything I do. He has shown me that every serve, volley, groundstroke, and practice matters. He has seen me grow as a player and a person throughout the past six years and I thank him for all of his guidance, support, and wisdom. He is an Assistant Pro at Tanoan Country Club,” added Nena.

“My middle school and current high school coach, Liz Keefe, has been one of the most encouraging people in my life,” said Nena. “She has seen my worst matches and best matches, yet has always remained positive. She has allowed me to be myself on and off the court, play my own style, and make mistakes. I value her guidance and knowledge of the sport, and I’m grateful to have her as a high school coach! Liz is the Albuquerque High School Head Girls Varsity Tennis Coach.”

Liz Keefe said: “Nena is an amazing young lady, I have been lucky to coach her for five years and have two more with her. I have seen her grow from a shy quiet beginning tennis player in 6th grade to one of the top high school singles and doubles athletes and leader on our team and in the local tennis community. Nena is still quiet but when she speaks everyone listens! She is a quiet leader, one who leads by example, one who inspires others with her hard work and respect for her teammates, coaches and the tennis community. Nena encourages others and mentors both younger teammates and teammates who are not as strong a player as her. Nena also leads off the court by always putting team first. Nena has a deep love for tennis and works so hard to improve as a player but she remains humble, fun, kind and a model for all of us to emulate.”

“Although tennis is one of my top priorities, I also maintain a 4.35 GPA in an Honors/AP curriculum at my school,” said Nena. “I’m currently the flute section leader for the AHS Mighty Bulldog Marching Band and I work for the City of Albuquerque Parks & Recreation coaching youth tennis. Also, I do my best to stay active in the Indigenous community here in Albuquerque by interning at the University of New Mexico Indigenous Design + Planning Institute. I am an aspiring architect and hope to one day be able to give back to my own community.”

Photograph/s provided by Monica Dorame.