Susan “Sue” Rogers of Barnegat, New Jersey, initiated a local Special Olympics tennis program in 2008, the start of her involvement with the organization. In 2013, she caddied at the Special Olympics North America National Invitational Golf Tournament and attended the 2014 Special Olympics USA Games in New Jersey. She served as the head tennis coach for Special Olympics New Jersey in the 2018 and 2022 Special Olympics USA Games and in the 2022 Special Olympics North America National Tennis Championship. She will represent Special Olympics USA as an assistant coach in tennis. As a coach, she is inspired by her interactions with Special Olympics athletes, who have taught her to be a more understanding and sympathetic person.
She is a member of the New Jersey State Coaches Association Hall of Fame and was recognized for her achievements as a tennis coach through the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Sue is employed as a learning disabilities teacher consultant in the Barnegat Township School District, where she also coaches tennis and golf at Barnegat High School. In her spare time, she plays pickleball, gardens, attends concerts and serves on the Citizens Advisory Committee in Barnegat. She is honored to coach tennis athletes of such high caliber in the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023.