Harm Turns to Help for Mestas

An injury can be devastating for an athlete; it can be the end of a career or dream, and can crush a bright future. However, for Valley College Athletic Trainer Dennis Mestas, a dirt biking accident at the age of 19 changed his life - for the better.

"I couldn't walk for 3 months," said 40-something Mestas, who has just finished attending to one of Valley's athletes, one of his many jobs throughout the day.

The accident retired him from football and forced him to end his time at the University of California Los Angeles. While many would presume that the Los Angeles native would regret the accident that cost him his football career, an upbeat Mestas said he would only change one thing.

"If I could do it all again, I would've never played football."

The injury propelled his future down a different path and made way for his career and his loves - his wife and tennis.

An avid traveler, Mestas studied in Las Vegas, gaining his bachelor's degree in education with emphasis on athletic training in 1985, before heading to Ohio on a $20,000 scholarship to earn a one-year master's degree in physical education, with emphasis again on athletic training. Las Vegas was a significant point in Mestas' life - it was where he discovered a profound passion for tennis; something that remains to this day.

"Tennis is my love," Mestas smiles, the sunny spring sky beaming upon his tanned skin as he sits outside the athletic training building on campus, where he spends much of his time.

"I told my wife, if I die on a tennis court, you know I died the happiest. If the weather doesn't break you down, then I will. Oh my god, I love tennis."

Ranked in the top 200 tennis players age 45 and over, he regularly trains for tournaments, one which is approaching in the next couple of weeks. As a member of the United States Tennis Association, Mestas takes his sport seriously, maintaining honor for the sport he calls a "man against man war."

His love for tennis is perhaps only outshone by the love for his wife, Kim. The pair became school friends and remained in contact during Mestas' time away from the West Coast. The pair met up again when he returned home and have now been married for 17 years.

Fellow athletic trainer and long time friend of Mestas, Angelo Cimity, informed Mestas about the job opening at Valley last summer; Mestas nicknamed Cimity 'The Godfather,' after telling him about the job offer "he could not refuse."

"He was the first one I thought of. I didn't know if he was happy [and] what the situation was at West [Los Angeles College]"

Although Mestas remembers the sadness he suffered during his first and only year at UCLA, he will be forever grateful for those moments that guided him in a new direction. The change gave him the career he adores, along with his childhood sweetheart and a lifestyle he does not want to alter. Of course, his passion for one sport cements the contentment he has with his life and loves.

"When I go home today, I'm gonna play tennis."