On November 29, 2021, students and players from New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) programs were invited to watch private screenings of King Richard. The biographical Warner Bros. Pictures film follows the life of Richard Williams, the steadfast father of tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams, who overcame seemingly unbeatable odds and rampant expectations by training his daughters from Compton, California to become exemplary athletes and role models on the global stage.  

Over the next month, NYJTL is creating opportunities for more than 1,000 students to watch King Richard and is raising funds to ensure that the opportunity is available throughout our ACES Afterschool Program (ACES), Community Tennis Program (CTP), and community-based programs at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. NYJTL believes that it is important for NYC youth to learn about the inspiring story of the Williams sisters’ historic rise not only for their monumental growth as tennis champions, but also because they embody its organizational values of character, community, and learning. 

The story of Richard Williams and his daughters showcases much of the life skills that NYJTL cultivates in the youth it serves such as critical thinking, self-direction, competitive spirit, and resilience. King Richard screenings will be paired with an educational component, where students will discuss the different lessons from the film that teach these key themes.  

“The Williams family has mastered the principle of resilience,” says NYJTL CEO & President Udai Tambar. “Venus and Serena’s journeys are a testament to the importance of instilling perseverance and self-confidence in our young people, the way that Richard Williams did with his daughters. We know we can always dream bigger, because we know Venus and Serena did the same and prevailed.”   

Serena and Venus have donated much of their time creating motivational experiences for youth off the court. In August 2019, NYJTL partnered with Nike for the Queens of the Future event in the streets of New York City, very close to where the US Open is held annually. Serena Williams was featured in the event, where she inspired girls everywhere to pursue their dreams no matter how big. She spoke with the aspiring tennis stars and shared the lessons she learned from her own journey, expressing that sports played a huge role in her growth because it gave her confidence, courage, and discipline. We hope that all NYJTL program participants learn these principles from the inspiring Williams family and actualize them in their own lives.  

New York Junior Tennis and Learning (NYJTL) is proud to support our CEO & President Udai Tambar as he joins New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams’ transition team as a member of the Human Services Committee. He will join a cadre of skilled experts who will assist Mayor-elect Adams in his transition to City Hall on January 1, 2022. His transition team consists of hundreds of changemakers across advocacy, nonprofit, and private sectors who will work collaboratively to tackle many of the problems faced by the city.  

Mr. Tambar brings many years of leadership serving the community to the mayor-elect’s transition team. He most recently served as Northwell Health’s Vice President of Community Health. His prior roles in public service include chief of staff to the NYC deputy mayor for health and human services Lilliam Barrios-Paoli who had oversight of nine city agencies with a combined budget of more than $20 billion; executive director of South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!), a youth development community-based organization dedicated to helping low income South Asian youth in NYC; and manager of policy and operations at the 9/11 United Service Group. He holds a BA magna cum laude from Cornell University and an MPA from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.  

“My life’s work has been to empower historically underserved communities with the resources they need to succeed,” says Mr. Tambar. “I am excited to join Mayor-elect Adams’ transition team and bring the important voices of NYJTL youth and families to the foreground as we work to strengthen human services citywide.” 

The Human Services Committee will focus on bolstering human service functions to best address the diverse needs of the city. Human services help people overcome obstacles through access to a wide range of services in a shared commitment to an overall quality of life and self-sufficiency of the city’s population. NYJTL increases access to education and tennis for underserved populations in NYC, and Udai’s leadership in doing so will bring an important perspective to the forefront of policymaking for the city.

New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) congratulates David Banks on being named the next chancellor of New York City’s public school system by Mayor-elect Eric Adams. The Eagle Academy is one of NYJTL’s ACES Afterschool sites and his effective leadership, especially in running the Eagle Academy Foundation and serving under-resourced communities, will make him a great advocate for all the New York City public school students.  

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!

New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) is excited to announce its partnership with Grand St. Settlement, a historic social service institution that provides personalized resources and direct services to NYC families and communities. In collaboration with the institution, NYJTL has launched its successful Community Tennis Program (CTP) at select Grand St. settlement sites, which currently operate in Bushwick Cornerstone Community Center and Williamsburg Cornerstone Community Center, with a third site at Rutgers Cornerstone Community Center opening early next year.  

“Partnering with Grand St. Settlement is the fulfillment of the original vision Arthur Ashe had to utilize tennis and education to better the lives of our city’s most under-resourced youth,” said NYJTL CEO & President Udai Tambar. “I believe these communities we are beginning to reach will become part of the essential fabric of our mission, network, and family.” 

“New York City youth need options for quality, enriching, and fun activities when they are not in school and their parents are at work,” said Grand St. Settlement Executive Director Robert Cordero. “This partnership with NYJTL will give thousands of young people the opportunity to learn and exercise through tennis, a sport that is admired but rarely played in the neighborhoods we serve because of barriers to access.” 

CTP at the Grand St. Settlement locations will be run by longtime NYJTL team member Joyce Short. Coach Joyce is currently the Site Director for CTP in Roosevelt Island, which she first opened in 1991. In her 30 years of service to NYJTL, she has worked with thousands of children and families to strengthen their character and development through tennis. In her role, she manages staff, creates curriculum, and instructs youth who participate in the program. She also serves as the District Developer for Manhattan and Eastern Queens, where she recruits schools and assists them in incorporating tennis into their physical education curriculums.  

Coach Joyce’s impact is far reaching, and tangible for many of the kids she works with. One family that has witnessed these contributions first hand is the Santamaria family, who has three children who are actively involved at the CTP site in Roosevelt Island – both as coaches and players. Amidst the pandemic, their father struggled with his own recovery from COVID-19, so it is especially rewarding for them to be able to return to the court under Coach Joyce’s leadership.  

Moreover, Anthony Garcia, one of her students at the Roosevelt Island site, was recently awarded $10,000 as the recipient of the Nora McNeeley Hurley Leadership Award from the USTA Foundation based on his academic excellence, participation in NYJTL, and community involvement.  

The work of team members like Coach Joyce exemplifies the importance that programs like CTP have on under-resourced youth and families, and it is exciting to see its growth and impact on new communities. Grand St. Settlement’s sites and NYJTL’s skilled staff and targeted programming will strengthen shared missions of promoting healthy living and community-based learning to NYC youth who need it most.