Category: News

NYJTL ACES Program Partners with Silberman School of Social Work

Posted on by Sadia Saba

New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) is proud to announce a unique partnership with the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College to provide direct services to the students and families we serve. Social work trainees from the Silberman School are being placed in the ACES Afterschool Program (ACES) in NYC public schools and will meet with ACES students to provide social emotional support groups, workshops, family outreach, mental health referrals, and peer mediations in the program. The goal of this collaboration is to increase accessibility to mental health services and social-emotional learning support to ACES students by promoting Trauma-Informed Care, committing to service, and addressing inequity.

“The Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College is very pleased to partner with NYJTL so that our social work interns may provide services and support to children across New York City,” says Silberman School of Social Work Program Director Caroline Gelman, Ph.D.  “NYJTL’s mission aligns closely with the core values of the social work profession and we are proud to engage in this creative partnership. We expect that direct practice with the children at five different sites will be beneficial for both Silberman interns and NYJTL scholars and we look forward to seeing many positive results.”  

“This partnership with the Silberman School of Social Work is the perfect complement to the work we do in underserved communities,” says NYJTL President and CEO Udai Tambar. “Especially with the circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been more critical that we take a mental health approach to support our young people.”  

One of NYJTL’s core values is healthy living, which includes a commitment to physical exercise, nutrition, and mental wellness. Safeguarding mental health is a priority for NYJTL, especially in our service to communities who have historically been underserved in the city. The support offered by the social work students adds to the social emotional learning lessons that are regular components of ACES curriculums.

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!

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

About the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College: 

The Hunter College School of Social Work, currently renamed the Lois V. and Samuel J. Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, was established in 1958 and is the oldest and largest public school of social work in New York. As part of CUNY, the Silberman School’s goal is to provide social work education of the highest quality at the lowest possible cost. Their location in the urban public system of New York City directs them to seek and encourage social work talent for and from the least advantaged in the population. The mission of the Silberman School of Social Work promotes civic engagement and dedication to public services in the City of New York. Their student body, field agencies, and alumni are the primary social work workforce of the public human service departments and not-for-profit agencies in New York City.

Contact: Caroline Rosenthal Gelman, Ph.D.
Master of Social Work
cgelman@hunter.cuny.edu
(212) 396-7542

Pershing Square Foundation Donates $1.0 Million to New York Junior Tennis & Learning

Posted on by Sadia Saba

New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) is proud to announce a donation of $1 million from the Pershing Square Foundation. This gift will support the NYJTL Scholar Athlete Program, which will offer high quality tennis and educational support to provide a pathway for under-resourced NYC children to attend and graduate from college. After 50 years of successfully providing tennis and academic support for NYC youth, the Scholar Athlete Program will serve as its flagship program and beacon for the entire organization.

NYJTL is excited to continue its relationship with longtime donor and supporter Bill Ackman, who has previously contributed $1 million towards the capital campaign for what is now the Pershing Square Foundation Stadium at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning.

“Over the past 50 years, NYJTL has enabled countless children to develop their foundational tennis skills and provided critically important academic support,” says Pershing Square Foundation co-trustee Bill Ackman. “We are delighted to continue our partnership with NYJTL as it expands its programs to empower under-resourced children in New York to attend and graduate from college.”

“We are so grateful for the support of Bill Ackman and the Pershing Square Foundation,” says NYJTL President & CEO Udai Tambar. “This foundational contribution is pivotal in providing pathways to college for under-resourced youth and gives them the resources needed to excel in their personal and academic ambitions.”

Historically, NYJTL has provided a broad range of programming to under-resourced youth in all five NYC boroughs to get them enrolled in meaningful after-school, weekend and summer activities.

The Scholar Athlete Program will serve as the flagship NYJTL program that highlights the substantial benefits of providing in-depth services to underserved youth. It will launch during the NYJTL 50th Anniversary Gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on May 4, 2022. The gala will be the culmination of 50 years of service, celebrating the legacy and future of the institution.

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!

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

ACES Programs Run Strong Despite Pressures from Pandemic

Posted on by Sadia Saba

As students return to school in the new year, evolving circumstances regarding the COVID-19 pandemic’s Omicron variant has created challenges for school administrators and families alike. New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) is dedicated to supporting our schools and participants’ families as we navigate the ever changing nature of the public health crisis we are currently facing.  

Approximately 300,000 students missed class on average this week in the country’s largest school district, which serves one million young people. With new cases of the COVID-19 virus proliferating citywide, attendance in the first week back to school after the winter recess hovered around 70 percent. NYJTL ACES staff is committed to continuing to deliver specialized, high-quality enrichment programming throughout all of our sites. ACES sites and staff have been working together to provide supplies to ensure the safe delivery of programs that abide by all health regulations. Depending on the different sites, schedules have been changed to address the needs of specific student populations. All staff have been working diligently to support school principals and families in managing the changing challenges of the pandemic. Undoubtedly, our staff, families, and school administrators have been demonstrating resilience and adaptability when met with the demands of today.  

Jim McManus Memorial Scholarship Will Support ITP

Posted on by Sadia Saba

Jim McManus passed away on January 18, 2011 at the age of 70. For more than 50 years, he was an integral part of the tennis landscape as a player, administrator, historian and fan of the game. Jim was a founder and member of the original Board of Directors at the ATP in 1972, eventually spending 28 years as an ATP Tour staff member working on all elements of the men’s professional game: the ranking system, player entries, tournament representation and development, retirement program, Senior Tour and alumni services.

The Jim McManus Memorial Fund is an initiative aimed to provide assistance to an individual or program demonstrating passion and dedication for the sport of tennis, its heritage, sportsmanship, camaraderie along with encouraging an atmosphere of pride in the game. This fund will support the Jim McManus Memorial Scholarship in collaboration with the Association of Tennis Professionals, which will sponsor the annual fees for an New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) Intensive Training Program (ITP) participant, giving them the opportunity to train for a potential tennis scholarship for college.

NYJTL is excited to be awarded the Jim McManus Memorial Fund to provide a scholarship for a student to participate in our pivotal Intensive Training Program. This scholarship will instill the values of Jim’s life and success in the youth we serve, and continue his legacy of a deep dedication to tennis through our participants.

Stuart Weitzman Endows $1.0 Million Fund for New York Junior Tennis & Learning

Posted on by Sadia Saba

For immediate release NEW YORK (January 10, 2022) – New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) is pleased to announce an endowed fund of $1.0 million from Stuart Weitzman, the renowned designer and entrepreneur.  This gift will support the NYJTL Scholar Athlete Program, which will offer high quality, personalized tennis and educational support and instruction to provide a pathway for under-resourced NYC children to attend and graduate from college.  After 50 years of providing tennis and academic support for NYC youth, the Scholar Athlete Program will serve as a beacon for the entire organization.

Mr. Weitzman’s visionary support of NYJTL’s role in nurturing the development of the city’s young people through tennis and education will assure the expansion of its program and greater access to more under-resourced children.

“It is my pleasure to work with NYJTL to better the lives of NYC youth through its enduring work,” said Mr. Weitzman. “In giving back, I hope to connect my legacy to the transformative Scholar Athlete Program, which will launch many children into college and beyond.”

Stuart Weitzman is a luxury shoe designer and corporate leader who launched his namesake brand in 1986. He spent several years as an apprentice under his father, Seymour Weitzman, at the Mr. Seymour shoe factory in Haverhill, Massachusetts. Since his early beginnings in the industry, Mr. Weitzman has revolutionized shoe design internationally by combining style and comfort in all his designs.

In 2018, Mr. Weitzman retired after nearly five decades of successfully leading one of the most recognizable brands in the footwear industry. The legacy of the company persists through its principles of entrepreneurial spirit, interconnectedness, and originality.  He is a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Since his retirement, he has devoted much of his time to lecturing at Penn and other universities passing along his knowledge and experiences from his career. In recognition of his support to the University of Pennsylvania, their School of Design was renamed the Stuart Weitzman School of Design.

“We are elated to receive the generosity of Stuart Weitzman,” said NYJTL Board Chair Bob Horne. “This gift provides monumental aid in providing NYC children the opportunity and support they need to prepare for college and to reach their highest potential through the Scholar Athlete Program.”

This gift will partially endow NYJTL’s Scholar Athlete Program, which is the materialization of NYJTL’s core belief that tennis and education are a catalyst for long-term achievement and opportunity for low-income youth and their families.

This program will serve as the flagship NYJTL program that highlights the substantial benefits of providing in-depth services to underserved youth.  Through the example of the Scholar Athlete Program, NYJTL hopes to inspire thousands of NYC youth in all of its programs to pursue their long-term goals, including going to college for those who aspire to do so.

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 & Development Officer
jceriello@nyjtl.org
(917) 693-6672

The Racket

Posted on by Sachi Kurup

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.