Our Story

First, a little bit about us 😀 We are two friends from New Jersey who share something in common - we both love tennis 🎾 

Boris: I started playing tennis when I was 8 years old and my parents gave me a choice of activities such as piano, tennis, etc. After a while, I gravitated towards tennis and started complaining about other activities so my parents presented me with a choice: piano 🎹 or tennis  🎾 lessons. I picked tennis and that's how my lifelong journey in this sport began. Today, I am a full-time cyber-security 🔐 engineer and I keep teaching tennis at Cherry Hill Racquet Club.

Alex: I wasn't as fortunate as Boris with lessons provided by his parents. Instead, I picked up a racquet after watching my dad play countless matches with his friends at the local club. When I asked my dad, "Can I play with you?", the answer was "Sure, but first, you have to hit a thousand balls against the wall". Well, I did just that and then some but alas I still had to wait a bit longer before I had the first opportunity to play with him. I haven't stopped playing since then, even when it is snowing outside ❄️ 🎾 ❄️ (TikTok)

 

Boris: Tennis provided me with many important life lessons early in life: no instant gratification and hard work pays off. Like everywhere else, in Israel, getting a driver's license was a rite of passage toward independence and freedom for teenagers. Small problem though, I needed 27 lessons before the road test and my parents weren't going to pay for such a costly endeavor. So, again my parents presented me with a choice: driver license 🚗 or tennis  🎾 instructor license. Once again, I picked tennis and practiced tirelessly, day after day. Eventually, I took and passed my instructor's exam, and was officially certified to teach tennis. With earnings from lessons, I was finally able to get my driver's license  🚗. I felt a sense of accomplishment and pride, knowing that I had worked hard and achieved my goals.

 

Why did we want to create banana shot?

Boris: I have been teaching tennis to kids and adults for a long time, both in Israel 🇮🇱 and here in the United States 🇺🇸. I love passing on the techniques of the game, the winning strategies, and the discipline required to excel. But most importantly, I smile and have fun with my students and I want tennis clothes to capture this spirit. Generally, tennis apparel is mostly serious, luxurious, and unaffordable. So it is quite natural to expand my relationship with the tennis community by building a playful and  affordable brand.

Alex: When Boris told me about his idea, I immediately turned to my wife, Nadia. As a designer 👩‍🎨, she doesn't turn down a creative challenge and that's how the Banana Shot brand was born. Rafael Nadal's (our favorite player, for the record!) signature forehand is a perfect embodiment for a playful and stylish fashion statement that will make everyone smile or perhaps inspire to replicate banana shot 🍌. 

Nadia: Even though I don't play tennis (yet), I  💚 cheering for Boris and Alex. When they approached me with this idea, I started to research tennis attire and realized that even though tennis is a game rooted in tradition, lately the dress code has been challenged by the new generation of players and it's a fitting time to creatively express yourself on the court. For example, I found out that "tennis whites" date all the way back to the 1880s, for a very practical reason, that sweat stains were considered improper and unsightly. Now that we have washing machines, this reason seems outdated. Coincidentally, I just finished reading a little book 📗 by one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakmi 🇯🇵, called In Murakami T, where the famously reclusive novelist does a show-and-tell of his quirky 👕 T-shirt collection. And I thought it would be so much fun to design a tennis T-shirt and perhaps one day Murakami will include it in In Murakami T sequel. 

Maya: Boris introduced me to tennis. I watched him play, I watched others play, I started to go to games, and I fell in love 💚 with this sport. I love watching and cheering on my kids and Boris. When, there are games or tournaments, I want to dress for the occasion. I want people to see my passion for tennis, but I could not find the right attire 👚 to express it. Starting Banana Shot will allow me to express my love 💚 for tennis and my support for my favorite players. And we want others, whether you are a player or not, to be able to showcase tennis fashionably. I bring to the team my expertise in supply chain and operations management, focusing on timely delivery and quality control.