Category: Latest News

New York (May 14) – The 30^th annual NYJTL Mayor’s Cup will be presented by Disney culminating on June 9 with distribution by First Book of 20,000 free books to the Bronx community and schools.

Disney’s support of the NYJTL Mayor’s Cup, which is a free tennis tournament attracting entries from 800 New York City youth, provides an immediate impact with the addition this year of the distribution of books.

“The funding from Disney allows us to better assist scholar athletes and directly impacts the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Education community.” said George Guimaraes, NYJTL CEO & President.

Disney also supports First Book, a nonprofit that provides equal access to quality education for all children.

“First Book is honored to work with Disney and NYJTL on this important initiative,” said Kyle Zimmer, president, co-founder, and CEO of First Book. “In addition to the health benefits that come from tennis, physical exercise has a tangible impact on academic performance, improving children’s social and emotional learning and their cognitive abilities. In fact, children who are physically active typically perform better in reading and math. So capping this year’s NYJTL Mayor’s Cup with 20,000 brand new books for Bronx schools: that’s truly a perfect match.”

Highlighting the NYJTL Mayor’s Cup presented by Disney Finals Awards Show with a live vocal performance will be Miya Mayo Bass, a former NYJTL staff member who was a contestant in the 2017-18 season of “The Voice” broadcast nationally on NBC.  Bass, who is a native of Jamaica, Queens is the daughter of two NYPD police officers and was an NYJTL site director in 2017. 

“NYJTL will always hold a special place in my heart, and I am so happy to be back sharing my talents with so many wonderful and inspiring children,” said Bass.

The official NYJTL Mayor’s Cup application is now online at https://www.nyjtl.org/mayors-cup.

About New York Junior Tennis & Learning

The mission of New York Junior Tennis & Learning is to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court.  Since 1971, NYJTL has changed lives through tennis, education, healthy living, and character development programs.  Today, it is the largest youth tennis and education non-profit in the nation, reaching 85,000 K-12 New York City youth.

In June 2015, the $26.5 million Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning opened its doors as the flagship home of NYJTL in the heart of the South Bronx.  In April 2017, the Cary Leeds Center completed its final phase of construction with the opening of the Pershing Square Stadium, the Victor Kiam Stadium, and the Dalia and Larry Leeds Viewing Bridge.  The Cary Leeds Center provides more than 6,000 hours of free tennis court time annually to the community’s under-resourced youth.

NYJTL celebrates the diversity of the children who participate in every program, providing three million hours of year-round tennis and education programming serving youth from all five New York City boroughs.  All NYJTL Community Tennis and Afterschool programs are offered at no cost to participants.

About First Book

First Book transforms the lives of children in need. Through a sustainable, market-driven model, First Book is creating equal access to quality education — making everything from brand new, high-quality books and educational resources, to sports equipment, winter coats, snacks, and more – affordable to its member network of more than 375,000 educators who exclusively serve kids in need. Since 1992, First Book has distributed more than 175 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low income families in more than 30 countries.

First Book currently reaches an average of 5 million children every year and supports more than one in four of the estimated 1.3 million classrooms and programs serving children in need. With an additional 1,000 educators joining each week, First Book is the largest and fastest-growing network of educators in the United States exclusively serving kids in need.

About The NYJTL Mayor’s Cup

2018 marks the 30^th consecutive year that New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) has hosted the Mayor’s Cup, which is the largest interscholastic tennis tournament in the nation with  more than 600 participants representing 160 private, public, and parochial schools in New York City competing in elementary, middle school, and high school divisions.

The NYJTL Mayor’s Cup, which runs from May 31 – June 9, is free to participants and includes 18 team and individual events for beginners to experienced varsity athletes all competing at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in the heart of the South Bronx. Early round matches are played on 22 courts with the final varsity individual matches featured on the state-of-the art Victor Kiam and Pershing Square Stadium courts with viewing for more than 800 spectators.

NYJTL is able to achieve so much for so many kids because of the generosity of friends who support our mission.

As NYJTL closes out another successful year making a difference in the lives of New York City youth, we are want to thank all of our incredible supporters and to welcome a new friend to our inner circle.  Leadership Luncheon master of ceremonies John Lloyd answered our call and traveled from Florida to host NYJTL’s major annual fundraiser.

While John is widely known for his tennis exploits and victories, including winning mixed double titles in both the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as for being a commentator and analyst for the BBC’s tennis coverage, his other lifelong passion is real estate. Since entering the real estate industry, John has achieved great success in the marketing and sales of real estate.

John can be reached through Sotheby’s International Realty:

Cell 310-795-8901

340 Royal Poinciana Way, Suite 337

Palm Beach, FL 33480

John.lloyd@sothebyshomes.com

New York Junior Tennis & Learning is pleased to announce that Angie A. Calderwood has been named the Executive Director of Development, effective November 1, 2017.

Prior to joining the NYJTL team, Ms. Calderwood was most recently the Director of Individual Giving at the Morgan Library & Museum, responsible for raising over $3 million in membership and general operating funds. She has also held various fundraising positions at other prominent New York City institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera, Central Park Conservancy, and the Museum of Modern Art.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the team at NYJTL. My love of the sport and our great city made the mission of developing the character of young people through tennis and education resonate strongly, and I am passionate about enabling NYJTL to expand its impact on the lives of children in all five boroughs,” said Calderwood.

A graduate of Williams College, Ms. Calderwood is a native of Savannah, GA and resides in Manhattan with her husband and two dogs.

About NYJTL:

The mission of New York Junior Tennis & Learning is to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court.  Since 1971, NYJTL has changed lives through tennis, education, healthy living, and character development programs.  Today, it is the largest youth tennis and education non-profit in the nation, reaching 75,000 K-12 New York City youth.

In June 2015, the $26.5 million Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning opened its doors as the flagship home of NYJTL in the heart of the South Bronx.  In April 2017, the Center completed its final phase of construction and opened the Pershing Square Stadium, the Victor Kiam Stadium, and the Dalia and Larry Leeds Viewing Bridge.  The Cary Leeds Center provides more than 6,000 hours of free tennis court time annually to the community’s underserved youth.

NYJTL celebrates the diversity of the children who participate in every program, providing 3,000,000 hours of year-round programming that serves youth from all five boroughs.  All NYJTL community tennis and afterschool programs are offered at no cost to its participants.

New York Junior Tennis & Learning becomes a national leader in character development education and practices with its certification and partnership with Character.org.  NYJTL is the largest youth tennis and education non-profit in the nation and serves children in all five boroughs in New York City.  With this certification, NYJTL becomes one of two organizations in the nation to be recognized as a Sports Organization of Character.

The certification is awarded after a lengthy eight part approval process, a comprehensive understanding of the 11 Principles of Effective Character Education, and a commitment to on-going site visits from Character.org.  “At Character.org, we are extremely proud of the inaugural group of National Sports Organizations of Character.  Their dedication to character development has proven over time to increase the well-being of so many young people, their families and their communities,” said Doug Karr, Character.org’s President & CEO.

“The partnership between Character.org and NYJTL was organic in nature as NYJTL’s mission statement is to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court,” said George Guimaraes, NYJTL President & CEO.  This certification validates NYJTL’s character development initiatives and serves as national model to be replicated for like-minded organizations.   The First Tee shares the honor with NYJTL as the only other organization to be recognized and certified.

Zeroing in with laser focus, NYJTL has defined its vision to enable youth to “Grow with the Game”.  As part of an impact measurement study conducted over the last 18 months, NYJTL has determined that life skills learned through tennis and education are the catalyst for long-term achievement.  Recognizing that character development and healthy living play a major role in development, the organization has looked to expand its resources, knowledge base, and offerings to NYC youth.

“Tennis is our tool to build life-changing social, academic and career networks, giving children the best chance for individual growth and success. We are weaving a character-driven mission, core values and a caring community structure throughout our initiatives. Through comprehensive, meaningful and positive youth engagement strategies, NYJTL builds character in under-resourced youth living in the most challenging neighborhoods in New York City for a lifetime of success on and off the court,” said Jessica Kruskamp, NYJTL Chief Education Officer.

New York Junior Tennis & Learning has served as a leader in grass roots tennis instruction in New York City with over 45 years of continuous service.  Early this year to enrich its educational offerings, NYJTL partnered with First Book to distribute over 6,000 developmental level books to its student athletes as part of its ongoing commitment to assist long term growth and achievement.

About NYJTL:

The mission of New York Junior Tennis & Learning is to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court.  Since 1971, NYJTL has changed lives through tennis, education, healthy living, and character development programs.  Today, it is the largest youth tennis and education non-profit in the nation, reaching 75,000 K-12 New York City youth.

In June 2015, the $26.5 million Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning opened its doors as the flagship home of NYJTL in the heart of the South Bronx.  In April 2017, the Center completed its final phase of construction and opened the Pershing Square Stadium, the Victor Kiam Stadium, and the Dalia and Larry Leeds Viewing Bridge.  The Cary Leeds Center provides more than 6,000 hours of free tennis court time annually to the community’s underserved youth.

NYJTL celebrates the diversity of the children who participate in every program, providing 3,000,000 hours of year-round programming that serves youth from all five boroughs.  All NYJTL community tennis and afterschool programs are offered at no cost to its participants.

About Character.Org:

Founded in 1993, Character.org, is a national non-profit based in Washington, D.C. The mission of the organization is to provide leadership and advocacy for character worldwide.  It is dedicated to help people everywhere become educated, inspired and empowered to be ethical and compassionate citizens.  Charcater.org validates character initiatives in schools, sports, families and the workplace through certifications and sharing best practices.  Results of effective character initiatives in schools typically include improved academic achievement, a decline in behavioral problems and an increase in an overall positive school climate.

Character education is an approach to organizational culture and climate improvement that supports the social, emotional and ethical development of young people.  It is the proactive and intentional efforts by schools, districts, communities and states to help young people develop important core ethical (recognizing what’s right) and performances (doing what’s right) values such as caring, honesty, diligence, fairness, fortitude, responsibility, grit, creativity, critical thinking and respect for self and others.