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. 

The Racket ?

ITP Tryouts: Review

On July 24, the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning hosted the Intensive Training Program tryouts. More than 100 players came to show us their tennis skills and passion! With smaller coach-to-student ratios and increased access to tennis, ITP bridges the gap between recreational community-based programs and high performance training. It is designed for current or past participants of NYJTL Community Tennis and ACES Afterschool Programs.  This year’s team will be announced in the following weeks.

You can learn more about the ITP Program here.

Ahsha Rolle Hosts Coaching Seminar

Ahsha Rolle, Director of Tennis, hosted a training session for NYJTL coaches in CTP and ACES, with more that 80 people in attendance at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning!

NYJTL Establishes Louis Marx, Jr. Educational Scholarships

NYJTL is proud to announce that Louis Marx, Jr. has endowed college scholarships for NYJTL program participants! The initial Marx Scholar Athletes will be selected later this year and will receive an aggregate of $20,000 in scholarships. Read the full press release.

USTA Foundation Scholarship Winner

Anthony Garcia, participant of the CTP program in Roosevelt Island was awarded $10,000 as the recipient of a Nora McNeely Hurley Leadership Award! He was selected based on his academic excellence, participation in NYTL, and community involvement.

Cary Leeds Center Community Engagement

The Cary Leeds Center is working in collaboration with local Phipps and Murphy houses to identify local youth to join their summer camp free of charge as well as the Community Youth Tennis Trainings Fridays and Saturdays.

For immediate release NEW YORK (August 5, 2021) – New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) is proud to announce that Louis Marx, Jr. has endowed college scholarships for NYJTL program participants. The initial Marx Scholar Athletes will be selected later this year and will receive an aggregate of $20,000 in scholarships. The selection criteria will include strong character and leadership skills, sportsmanship, commitment to the game of tennis and demonstrated financial need.

The Louis Marx, Jr. Educational Scholarships will be in addition to NYJTL’s Victor Kiam “Going For It” scholarships awarded annually for more than a decade at the NYJTL Mayor’s Cup final awards ceremony.

“I am excited that Mr. Marx Jr. has chosen to create additional college scholarship opportunities to support NYJTL children,” said NYJTL Chair Bob Horne. “Creating a pathway for youth to fulfill their collegiate aspirations is at the very heart of our mission.”

Mr. Marx, Jr. has been a successful venture capitalist for over 60 years, investing in a variety of industries. He is the son and heir of the late Louis Marx, who rose to prominence in the 1950s owning the largest toy company in the world at the time, Louis Marx and Company. Mr. Marx, Jr., a graduate of Princeton University, has more recently devoted himself to philanthropy and contributes robustly to arts, education, and medical organizations. He is also a very accomplished tennis player and the recipient of NYJTL’s 1996 Leadership Award, which was presented to him by his friend, Nick Bollettieri.

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 more than 85,000 K-12 New York City youth.

NYJTL provides after school programming in approximately 30 schools and community tennis programming at approximately 40 sites throughout New York City in the summer months and at additional sites that operate during the school year. In addition, NYJTL designed, funded (with NYC), built and operates the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning, at which it provides free and commercial tennis programming year-round as well as life skills, character development and healthy living lessons. All NYJTL community tennis and after school programs are offered at no cost to its participants.

NYJTL is looking forward to celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022 (delayed due to COVID)!

Contact:

Joe Ceriello
Chief Marketing and Development Officer
jceriello@nyjtl.org
(917) 693-6672

For immediate release (New York, June 30, 2021) – New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) is pleased to announce that Udai Tambar has been elected President & Chief Executive Officer effective August 9, 2021.  Mr. Tambar has devoted much of his career to serving youth, including serving as Chief of Staff and Director of Youth & Children Services for the NYC Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and as the Executive Director for South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), which provides comprehensive youth development services for NYC’s under-resourced South Asian community.  Mr. Tambar most recently served as Vice President, Community Health at Northwell Health.

“My life’s work has been dedicated to serving low-income children and providing them with the tools to reach their fullest potential,” said Mr. Tambar.  “I believe that I can build upon the tremendous work of NYJTL with my experience to utilize the powerful combination of tennis and education to better serve the community and empower the next generation of NYC youth.”

Mr. Tambar graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts and received a Masters in Public Affairs from Princeton University.  He most recently attended Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program receiving a certificate in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management.

“Udai’s exceptional experience with youth programming, his comprehensive understanding of NYC’s afterschool programs, and his demonstrated passion for helping children achieve their goals make him the right choice to lead our organization,” said Bob Horne, NYJTL’s Board Chair.  “Next year NYJTL will celebrate 50 years of service to NYC’s children, and under Udai’s leadership we will embark upon our next phase of developing and implementing even more impactful programming for under-resourced youth.”

Mr.Tambar will succeed George Guimaraes, who led the organization successfully through the pandemic and worked to ensure that NYJTL’s resources were available to NYC children despite unprecedented challenges.  After five years devoted to leading the organization, Mr. Guimaraes is retiring to spend more time with his family.  “The entire NYJTL organization, on behalf of the thousands of children that we serve, thanks George for his many contributions over the past five years,” said Mr. Horne.

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 more than 85,000 K-12 New York City youth.

NYJTL provides after school programming in approximately 30 schools and community tennis programming at approximately 40 sites throughout New York City in the summer months and at additional sites that operate during the school year.  In addition, NYJTL designed, funded (with NYC), built and operates the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning, at which it provides free and commercial tennis programming year-round as well as life skills, character development and healthy living lessons.  All NYJTL community tennis and afterschool programs are offered at no cost to its participants.

NYJTL is looking forward to celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2022 (delayed due to COVID)!