The Racket ?
NYJTL Scholarship Opportunities Expand

New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) believes it is important to build on our history of providing access to tennis by creating pathways to higher education for those with potential but not the resources to achieve it. For more than a decade, NYJTL has awarded Victor Kiam “Going For It” Scholarships  to four high school seniors entering college.  This year, we are proud to announce an additional six scholarship opportunities for students in 2022. This will include four annual Louis Marx, Jr. Educational Scholarships, which will be awarded to program participants in their senior year of high school who demonstrate strong character and leadership skills, sportsmanship, commitment to the game of tennis, and demonstrated financial need. Louis Marx, Jr. Educational Scholarships award recipients will receive support throughout four years of college. Another award is the AYS Leadership & Innovation Scholarship from AYS, owner of Taste of Tennis, which will be given to college-bound participants who embody leadership and entrepreneurial spirit.

Other scholarship opportunities include the Jim McManus Memorial Scholarship in collaboration with the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals), which will sponsor the annual fees for an NYJTL Intensive Training Program participant, giving them the opportunity to train for a potential tennis scholarship for college.

We will be posting our application cycle in February- March 2022 and the winners will be announced at the NYJTL Mayor Dinkins’ Cup in May, with awards being dispersed for college aid in the fall. NYJTL is proud to build pathways to higher education through tennis and learning for under-resourced NYC youth.

NYJTL Programs Watch King Richard

Last month, students from New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) programs were invited to watch private screenings of King Richard. The film follows the life of Richard Williams, the steadfast father of tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams. Over the next month, NYJTL is raising funds to create the opportunity for more than 1,000 students to watch King Richard throughout our ACES Afterschool Program (ACES), Community Tennis Program (CTP), and community-based programs at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning.

Udai Tambar Named to Mayor-elect Adams’ Transition Team

NYJTL’s President & CEO has been appointed to Mayor-elect Eric Adams’ transition team as a member of the Human Services Committee. He will join a cadre of skilled experts across different fields to assist the mayor in tackling issues across the city.

ACES is in the Holiday Spirit

This holiday season, students in the ACES Afterschool Program (ACES) have been busy with a plethora of festive holiday activities. Middle school students from P.S./M.S. 219Q enjoyed a gingerbread house competition. Other of our ACES sites enjoyed activities such as holiday talent shows, movies, tennis tournaments, and more.

Building Bridges

NYJTL partnered with the Building  Bridges program from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine to discuss the ways physicians and community-based organizations can improve health in the Bronx, and the role NYJTL plays in addressing the social determinants of health.

Ahsha Rolle Imparts Tour Lessons on Next Generation at Cary Leeds Tennis Center

The newly minted NYJTL Director of Tennis advocates for a holistic approach in bringing up the game’s newest stars….Read the full story.

The Racket ?
NYJTL Partners with Grand Street Settlement

The Community Tennis Program (CTP) is now partnering with Grand Street Settlement, a historic social service institution that provides personalized resources and direct services to NYC families and communities. NYJTL’s collaboration with the institution operates in Bushwick Cornerstone and Williamsburg Cornerstone, with a third site at Rutgers Cornerstone by early next year. Participants at these new sites will receive free tennis instruction with equipment provided at no cost. NYJTL is excited to partner with Grand Street Settlement to align around our shared missions of serving the city’s under-resourced youth from low-income communities.

ACES Celebrates Thanksgiving

On November 23, 2021 the ACES Afterschool Program (ACES) participants of PS 93 in Brooklyn celebrated Thanksgiving by having an afternoon filled with holiday meals and activities. Students from kindergarten through 5th grade enjoyed a festive lunch to celebrate the holiday followed by homework help sessions to work on their day school assignments.  Once homework was completed, students wrote and decorated holiday cards giving thanks to their families and loved ones. Younger students colored activity sheets that taught them the importance of gratitude while older students enjoyed a movie after playing brain teaser games. After a fun and enriching afternoon of exercising their holiday spirit, PS 93 ACES students were picked up by their families and ready to return home.

ACES x Padlet

Padlet is an educational technology that has recently been launched by ACES and has innovated the way in which our staff, administrators, and parents interact. Padlet is a live bulletin board that allows for uniformity of agency amongst our sites. It has served as an essential tool that creatively streamlines core areas and materials necessary for the effective operation of our programs promoting STEM, literacy, fitness, arts, and leadership for all ACES participants.

Family Testimonial

“I am so grateful and appreciative we are in the CTP program! It is an invaluable resource. Tennis is a highly respected sport that provides valuable opportunities. It is also very expensive to pursue.  As a single parent, I am passionate about providing opportunities for my girls to have; a positive and quality childhood, education, self-image, life, etc…Thank you NYJTL for all that you do!” – CTP Parent

CTP Holiday Tournament!

• Girls 12s, 14s, & 18s
  • Tuesday, December 28, 2021
• Boys 12s, 14s, & 18s
  • Wednesday, December 29, 2021
• Boys and Girls: 8 & Under
  • Thursday, December 30, 2021

All tournaments are held from 8 am to 12 pm (Registration begins at 7:30 am) at the Cary Leeds Center. Just show up and play!

The Racket ?
Matthew & Emmanuel Usman 
CTP+ Player Feature

Twin brothers, Matthew and Emmanuel Usman have been a part of the CTP program for several years. Not only are they a part of the CTP+ Program, a program designed for players who have demonstrated competitive ability and potential beyond the level of those at their current CTP location, but they are also coaches.

Emmanuel highlights his initial experience with NYJTL: “The very first time I went to NYJTL was probably my most memorable. I was super nervous because I decided to try a new sport at 15 years old. Christian Georges was my first coach during the Winter Weekend Indoors program at the NTC. I saw so many kids playing of all ages, all levels and from so many different backgrounds. It was super fun even if I was bad at the sport at the time.” 

For Matthew, “the best part of being with NYJTL is realizing that it’s impossible to stop growing, from good days to bad days on court there is always something to take away. The many friends and coaches I spend entire seasons training, playing, and competing with create bonds and memories that I will never forget.”

Emmanuel and Matthew appreciated the CTP+ program. For them, it is a huge opportunity to perfect their mental and physical strength. Through this program, their confidence in their abilities and to compete increased.

Matthew and Emmanuel are both excited for the CTP Winter session to start November 13!

Native American Heritage Month

November is Native American Heritage Month and is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories, and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportunity to raise a general awareness about the challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

ACES Fall Festival

The ACES Fall Festival was BACK this year! After a COVID hiatus, on October 11, all 27 ACES Afterschool sites participated in the event. However, to ensure the safety of all NYJTL participants and staff, the event was held at each individual site, and partially over Zoom. There were games, bounce houses, a carnival, raffles, prizes and more! Hundreds of children from ACES schools all across the five boroughs participated.

STP Training is BACK!

The School Time Tennis Program (STP) trainings are run at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning, with the purpose of instructing Physical Education teachers how to teach the fundamentals of tennis in school, and to provide instructional drills and games to use during physical education time. The first training session of the school year is December 8!

Welcome Shenay Perry

Shenay Perry is the NEW Associate Director Of High Performance And Adult Programming!
Shenay played on the WTA tour with a career high of #40 in singles and #97 in doubles, and has worked with some remarkable players like Coco Gauff and Sofia Kenin as juniors and Kristie Ahn at the pro level.

Breast Cancer Walk

On October 8, one of our ACES Afterschool sites, PS 129, had a Breast Cancer Walk! They provided their school administration with breast cancer awareness bags, and did a pink & white balloon release. Way to go, team!

The Cary Leeds Center has you covered.

The bubble at the Cary Leeds Center went up October 13-14 to weather you from the storm.

The Racket ?

CTP Expands Services with Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation Funds

The Community Tennis Program has expanded its services to include CTP+, a program to advance the tennis ability of dedicated CTP players. The goal of the CTP+ program will be to develop tennis technique at a higher level. It is designed for those players who have proven their competitive ability and potential beyond the level of their peers.

This new program will be FREE for players and their families, including extended hours of play (during both the outdoor and indoor seasons), smaller coach to player ratios, and be run out of Linden Park (Brooklyn) and Forest Park (Queens) for the outdoor season.

The launch began the week of September 13 and will run through the end of October for the fall season. READ THE FULL STORY…

National Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. NYJTL celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of our Hispanic students, players, coaches, teachers, and leaders who inspire us to be our best selves.

The Boathouse Bash Center

It was great to be #backtotheboathouse last week! We had a night under the stars with an auction, dancing, food, and more! Check out our photo gallery!

Gordon Reid

NYJTL partnered with UNIQLO to bring world No. 4 in singles, world No. 1 in doubles, Paralympic gold medalist and three-time Grand Slam singles champion Gordon Reid to the Cary Leeds Center! The kids had an amazing time on the court with him!

The Community Tennis Program has created a new pilot program, CTP+, to further advance the tennis ability of dedicated CTP players. The goal of the CTP+ program will be to develop tennis technique at a higher level. It is designed for those players who have proven their competitive ability and potential beyond the level of their peers. This new program will be FREE for players and their families, including extended hours of play (during both the outdoor and indoor seasons), smaller coach to player ratios, and be run out of Linden Park (Brooklyn) and Forest Park (Queens) for the outdoor season. The launch began the week of September 13 and will run through the end of October for the fall season. 

Tryouts were conducted on August 17, 18, and 30 and over 130 CTP players came out to Co-Op City and Linden Park to try out. 

Twenty to 25 players were selected to take part in the CTP+ Program at each site. Programming is held three days a week with instruction and match play included. 

Curriculum and coach training was created and executed by Ahsha Rolle, Director of Tennis, with dynamic warm-ups and weekly themes including consistency, direction, depth, spin, power, and weapon development. Players will also get the opportunity to play in USTA sanctioned tournaments, get transportation to inter-mural competitions, special tennis equipment, and uniforms.  

Coach Lorraine, from the Co-Op City site was recognized by the Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation for her work in the NYJTL Community Tennis Program. Coach Lorraine, along with her late-husband Milton Alexander, started the NYJTL Co-Op City site 40 years ago because of the powerful and positive impact that the sport had on their lives. As a child, Ms. Lorraine always loved tennis, but it was not something readily available in her community. Eventually, after finding someone willing to teach her tennis, Ms. Lorraine met her husband on the courts of Co-Op City and decided to teach tennis to the children to give them an opportunity that they would not have had otherwise. 

Ms. Lorraine believes that “if you engage children in something constructive, they will never get involved in anything destructive”, therefore creating a space for children to build character in her community was important to her and her husband. 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation (DSG Foundation), through their “Sports Matter” initiative, acknowledged Ms. Lorraine’s dedication in creating a positive and safe space for the community at Co-Op City. DSG Foundation’s “Sports Matter” initiative recognizes that “sports build character, increase confidence, motivate kids to stay in school and aim for higher education; teaching life lessons that extend well beyond the playing field”. 

At last year’s Virtual Leadership Luncheon, NYJTL announced the DSG Foundation’s generous donation of $100,000 to the NYJTL Community Tennis Program to be used over a four-year span, so that coaches like Ms. Lorraine can continue to develop the character of young people though tennis.