The mission of NYJTL is to develop young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success, on and off the court. Geanna Richard began her journey with NYJTL when she was a 12-year-old student in the ACES Afterschool Program at Junior High 383. During the summer, she continued to train at the Community Tennis Program site in Linden Park. Geanna’s commitment to the game grew as she entered high school, crediting the sport with teaching her to “trust myself, because hard work pays off.” We are excited to share that her dedication has paid off: Geanna will be college bound this fall with a full scholarship to Tabor College! She is grateful to her NYJTL coaches for giving her the confidence in her skills and point making. Geanna will continue to play tennis at the collegiate level and looks forward to tournaments and beginning the next chapter of her life.
Category: News
CTP Presidents’ Week Tournament
Even though school was out, NYJTL’s Community Tennis Program ran the Presidents’ Week 3-Day Doubles Tournament for kids on February 18, 19 and 20.
The CTP Presidents’ Week Tournament had boy & girl divisions in the following age groups: 12, 14, 16, 18 and 9/10. Over 100 participants came to the Cary Leeds Center to play in the tournament!
The boys 12 division was on February 18, and the first and second place winners are all part of tennis-playing families and play year-round on Roosevelt Island at Octagon Park and the Roosevelt Island Racquet Club both led by Site Director Joyce Short and her staff!
The first place winners were Eric Langerman (Age 11) and Ian Remor (Age 11), both who are long-time CTP participants on Roosevelt Island.
Ian currently attends tennis with his sister who plays with him. Eric’s older brother, Danny was a coach with NYJTL for six years and just graduated from Baruch last year.
The second place winners were Alex Cuamani (Age 10) and Uriel Huerta (Age 9), who are also from Roosevelt Island CTP locations. Alex and Uriel are cousins and have older and younger siblings who are also part of CTP.
The third place winners, Mustapha Darbol (age 12) & Kyheem Graham (Age 12) are both from one of our ACES Sites – MS 241X and their coach brought them out to Cary Leeds to participate in the tournament.
Left to Right: Eric, Coach Joyce, Alex, Ian, Uriel, Mustapha, Kyheem
CTP PRESIDENTS’ WEEK – 12 & 14 – FEBRUARY 18, 2020
CTP PRESIDENTS’ WEEK – 18 & Under – FEBRUARY 19, 2020
CTP PRESIDENTS’ WEEK – 9 & 10 – FEBRUARY 20, 2020
ACES Afterschool Program Presidents’ Cup Tournament
According to the CDC, school-aged children and adolescents should be active for 60 minutes or more each day, which is why even though school was out, the ACES Afterschool Program was in session. The ACES Presidents’ Cup Tournament gave the kids the opportunity to express themselves through cheer routines, show off their athleticism through fitness challenges, battle it out to see which school had the best basketball players, and hit serves on the court to see who was the fastest! The Presidents’ Cup Tournament was held at various locations in NYC with a total of 350 elementary and middle school students participating.
The elementary school tournament had four different competitions which consisted of the tennis championship, the fitness challenge, the fast server competition and the best cheer contest. The tennis tournament was played in a four team round robin format and the tennis matches consisted of boys singles, girls singles, boys doubles, girls doubles and mixed doubles. The fitness challenge consisted of four different categories; push-ups, sit-ups, jumping rope, and a team relay race. The fast server competition has been an integral part of the competition as two players from each team are chosen by their coach to see who will hit the fastest serve. The final and most entertaining challenge of the tournament is the cheer competition where the students form a team with their respective schools and create a cheer piece best representing themselves.
The middle school tennis tournament took place on February 21 at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. The co-ed basketball championship took place on February 17 at I.S. 061 in Queens.
A total of eight ACES middle schools participated in the tennis tournament played in a round robin format and the tennis game matches consisted of boys singles, girls singles, boys doubles, girls doubles and mixed doubles. The scoring format was the first to score five points to win the match. A total of 80 students competed against each other representing their respective schools with MS 378 coming out victorious.
A total of nine ACES middle schools, with 138 students, participated in the basketball tournament with MS 316 winning against the eight other schools.
The February Racket
Inaugural Tennis For America VISTA fellows
NYJTL is proud to announce that we are one of the six nationally recognized organizations who will work together with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) to help address the issues of poverty through tennis in the United States. We are looking for three recent college graduates or seniors to be Tennis for America VISTA fellows to work with New York Junior Tennis & Learning and the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Education from June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021.
Recent graduates or seniors will have the opportunity to work with under-resourced children in NYJTL sites in one of the five boroughs and to help NYJTL carry out its mission to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court.
Applications are open until February 29, 2020
The Loss of an Idol
The students of Icahn Charter School 2 got the opportunity to meet Kobe Bryant on August 29, 2019. The kids had an opportunity to play tennis with him, and were saddened to hear that he is no longer with us.
See the tribute the students of Icahn 2 made for him.
Mentoring Month
Mentoring is at the forefront of the NYJTL mission, and we believe that NYC youth deserve the opportunity to be guided thoughtfully, and we are confident that the life skills gained through our programs can provide a powerful catalyst for long-term achievement. York Chu, retired Senior Director of Tennis Programs, has been an amazing mentor to our kids!
SAT Prep
Prepare for the June SAT test! Classes run from February 29 through May 31 and are offered on Saturday OR Sunday. Our qualified tutors will help you prepare for the exam!
There is still time to register!
Up Next:
- NY Open, February 9-16. Get your tickets here.
- ACES President’s Cup Tournament, February 17-21.
- CTP Boys and Girls Presidents’ Week Doubles, February 18-20.
- Mixed Doubles Round Robin, February 28.
- SAT Prep, February 29 – May 31.
What We’re Reading:
Inaugural Tennis For America Program
NYJTL is proud to announce that it is one of the six nationally recognized organizations who will work in conjunction with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) to help address the issues of poverty through tennis in the United States. NYJTL is looking for three recent college graduates or current seniors to fill positions with New York Junior Tennis & Learning and the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Education from June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021. Recent graduates or seniors will have the opportunity to work with under-resourced children in one of the five boroughs and to help NYJTL carry out its mission to develop the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court.
Why should you apply to be a Tennis for America Fellow?
If you believe in making a difference and don’t back down from a challenge, then this program is for you! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play a part in making a difference in the lives of NYC youth through tennis. Whether you want to learn more about nonprofits, get a better understanding of the tennis industry, or make life-long connections, then this is the program for you.
Benefits
- VISTA Living Allowance
- Each VISTA member gets to choose an end of service benefit: A cash payout of $1,800 or an education award of $6,195
- Housing
- Relocation Stipend – $750 + .24 cent per mile for those relocating more than 50 miles from partnering site
- Mileage assistance or bus/train monthly pass
- Orientation/Professional Development – Phoenix, Arizona (June 1-5)
- Continuing Education – ITA College Coaches Convention, Naples, Florida (December 2020), with all expenses paid by ITA
- Graduation Ceremony – US Open (August 2021), with all expenses paid by ITA
- Individual Mentor
- The development of a strong network of Tennis For America colleagues to offer support during the year of service and for many years afterwards
- Exposure to and experience with critical 21st century skills, including: non-profit strategy, teaching, problem solving and communication skills
- Networking opportunities and collaboration with a large range of stakeholders.
What are the requirements to apply?
- Graduating from an ITA Member Institution in May, 2020 or have graduated form an ITA member institution anytime in 2019 or 2018
- At least 21 years old by June 1st, 2020
- Member of a Competitive Tennis Team at NCAA D I, D II, D III or NAIA ITA member program for a minimum of two years (current or former Tennis on Campus team members are eligible to apply)
- U.S. citizen or national or lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder)
- Available for a full year of service from June 1st, 2020 to May, 31st, 2021
- Able to pass all necessary background checks and clearances to work with children under the age of 18
If you think this is the program for you then read more about the exciting pilot project and submit your application here.
What Does Mentoring Mean To NYJTL?
According to MENTOR, The National Mentoring Partnership, “Young adults who had mentors speak highly of these relationships. They offer that their mentors help them stay on track in school, make good choices, and provide consistent support”. At NYJTL’s core we believe in developing the character of young people through tennis and education for a lifetime of success on and off the court. Mentoring is at the forefront of what we do, and we believe that every child in New York City deserves the opportunity to be guided thoughtfully, and we are confident that the life skills gained through our programs can provide a powerful catalyst for long-term achievement. Whether that means helping a child with their homework through our ACES Afterschool Program, or incorporating physical activity through tennis in our Community Tennis Program, or even having a child participate in our Serve & Connect Program so that NYPD 42nd Precinct officers can create life long relationships and mentor kids.
Founded in 1971, NYJTL is active in every borough of New York City, operates in all 51 NYC Council Districts and providing free access to tennis in schools, community centers, and on playgrounds year round reaching 85,000 K-12 youth throughout NYC. Our Community Tennis Program, which has mentored and served thousands of children over the years, creates a safe environment for children to learn the sport of a lifetime that instills teamwork, stamina, grit, and persistence. Our dedicated coaches, many of them NYJTL alumni, are committed to teaching tennis to the youth of NYC, for example Coach Gaetan said, “Mentoring kids is important because growing minds often need guidance. I’m drawn to mentoring kids because my mentor growing up was very influential in making me the person I am today. My mentor was Scott Daly (NYJTL Senior Director, Community Tennis). I work for NYJTL because it’s given me so much as a growing teen that the least I can do is pay it forward to the next generation”. Coach Gaetan has impacted the lives of many children, but especially Allycia Santa-Cruz, a sophomore at Bard Early College High School. Allycia said “To me, Gaetan is not only a mentor, but a friend, a father figure and also just a cool dude I met two years ago. He’s made tennis become more meaningful, which nourished my love of the game. I’m always making time for tennis, whether it’s a school night or six in the morning on weekends. Starting the summer program with him not only helped me become a better tennis player, but become a better person”. NYJTL looks forward to continuing to foster and mentor the youth of New York City through tennis, education, healthy living and character development programs.