Category: The Racket

Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning To Host 2018 US Open Junior Qualifying Tournament

Posted on by joe

FLUSHING, N.Y., Aug. 16, 2018 – The USTA today announced that the US Open Junior Qualifying Tournament, during which 64 of the world’s top 18-and-under boys and girls tennis players will compete for a chance to play in the US Open Junior Championships, will be held at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in the Bronx August 31-September 1.

 

The main draw of the US Open Junior Championships runs September 2-9 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., and will feature tomorrow’s stars from around the world. Four US Open junior singles champions – Andy Murray, Andy Roddick, Lindsay Davenport and Stefan Edberg – have gone on to win the US Open singles title, as did junior finalists Roger Federer, Boris Becker, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Martina Hingis.

 

The US Open Junior Qualifying Tournament features 32-player singles draws for boys and girls, with eight players on each side advancing to the main draw. The 2018 Boys’ and Girls’ Qualifying fields feature mostly players ranked in the Top 100 of the world junior rankings.

 

“The US Open Junior Qualifying Tournament features some of the best junior tennis players in the world, and the Cary Leeds Center is a world-class tennis facility,” said US Open Junior Tournament Director Lew Brewer. “Not only does it make a great host for the Qualifying Tournament, but it allows us to offer all of our main-draw juniors more practice time than ever before.”

 

In June 2015, the $26.5 million Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning opened its doors as the flagship home of New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) in the heart of the 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 believes that life skills gained through tennis and education are the catalyst for long-term achievement and sees the opportunity to work with the USTA in hosting the US Open Junior Qualifying Tournament as a way to introduce tennis and inspire the next generation,” said George Guimaraes, NYJTL CEO & President.

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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. 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.

 

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 655,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network. For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.

 

For more information, contact:

Pat Mitsch, USTA Communications, (914) 656-9021; Mitsch@usta.com.

Joe Ceriello, NYJTL Marketing & Communications, (917) 693-6672; jceriello@nyjtl.org

NYJTL and Universal Tennis Present the #MyUTRImpact Video Submission Campaign

Posted on by Allison Kelly

Submit your #MyUTRImpact video and win the UTR Award!

NYJTL and Universal Tennis have partnered for the 30th Annual NYJTL Mayor’s Cup to bring you a fun way to tell a story about how tennis has changed your life!

Here’s how you can submit your #MyUTRImpact story! Follow these steps:
1. Download the Greenfly app to your phone.
2. Use code “UTRMayorsCup” to sign up.
3. Record your video on your phone say your name, UTR and how tennis has impacted your life.
4. Upload the video to the Greenfly app by pressing on “send videos or photos anytime”
5. In the “Add a description” area, write your  name, UTR, your  Instagram handle and/or Twitter handle and #MyUTRImpact
6. Then press “send”!

Video Requirements Submit your #MyUTRImpact video to be featured during the NYJTL Mayor's Cup!
• Player Full Name
• Player UTR
• Player Age
• Tell us how tennis has impacted your life, what does tennis mean to you.
Ex: Hi, my name is John Smith, I’m 15 years old and I’m a UTR 8.50. Tennis has had a big impact on my life because…”

Approval 
1. Videos will be submitted to Greenfly. Team UTR will review and approve videos before they are made public, making sure that every video shines a positive light on both NYJTL and UTR.
2. Videos will be shared on @MyUTR Twitter, Instagram Facebook using the hashtag #MyUTRImpact, @NYJTL will monitor social platforms and re-post these videos on their social channels.
3. Approved videos will be shared to NYJTL and MyUTR YouTube channels

Winners Announced at Final Awards Show!

NYJTL Announces Bronx Community Book Distribution

Posted on by joe

New York (May 14) – The 30th 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 30th 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.

30th Annual NYJTL Mayor’s Cup Expands Reach & Impact

Posted on by joe
New York (April 23) – 2018 marks the 30th 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 16 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.
“With the goal of breaking down all barriers to entry for NYC youth to play tennis, we are preparing to greatly expand the number of participants in the NYJTL Mayor’s Cup,” said George Guimaraes, NYJTL CEO and President.
The NYJTL Mayor’s Cup will offer the innovative UTR (Universal Tennis Ranking) system for the first time. Among its many benefits, UTR is the ranking system used by college coaches to evaluate the talent of players hoping to continue their tennis careers at the intercollegiate level.
“We are honored to work with NYJTL to provide student athletes with more access to tennis and more opportunities to play,” said Mark Leschly, Universal Tennis Chairman & CEO.
In addition, through NYJTL’s partnership with USTA Eastern, individual girls’ and boys’ quarterfinalists will receive free entries to the USTA Eastern College Showcase Day in November.
“We knew we had to get involved because getting more kids on the court and creating college opportunities for them is what we are all about,” said Jenny Schnitzner, ED of USTA Eastern.
Kicking off the NYJTL Mayor’s Cup on Saturday, June 2, 500 program participants, community members, and staff members will “spell out” “NYJTL” on the Cary Leeds Center courts. An aerial photograph will be taken signifying the impact that children playing the sport of tennis have in a community such as Crotona Park.
The NYJTL Mayor’s Cup culminates on Saturday, June 9 with an awards show featuring live entertainment by NYJTL’s ACES Afterschool dance troupe and singers performing today’s hottest hits. Awards celebrating scholar athletes include:
  • NYJTL Growth Award -The highest honor, given to the graduating senior(s) who have inspired others through their dedication to tennis and education
  • USTA Eastern Sportsmanship Award – Presented to the NYJTL Mayor’s Cup player(s) who have shown character and integrity while competing
  • UTR “Impact Story” Award – Awarded to Mayor’s Cup participant(s) who have created video submission(s) describing how tennis has impacted their lives
  • NYPD Precinct 42 Service Award – Recognizing scholar athletes who have shown personal growth through their participation in the Cary Leeds Center Serve & Connect Program
  • Victor Kiam “Going For It” Scholarship – Awarded to the NYJTL program participants who have demonstrated character and “grit”
  • NYJTL Mayor’s Cup Team and Individual Awards – Presented to each team and individual elementary, middle, and high school division winner and finalist
The official NYJTL Mayor’s Cup application is now online at www.nyjtl.org/mayors-cup.
Media are welcome to attend the NYJTL Mayor’s Cup. The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning is located at 1720 Crotona Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10457.

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 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 under-resourced 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 Universal Tennis

Universal Tennis is the company behind UTR Powered by Oracle, a rating system that provides a single unifying language and standard for tennis players across age, geography, gender and economics. UTR Powered by Oracle is the official tennis rating system for ITA, PTR, Tennis Channel, USPTA, and WTT.

 

About USTA Eastern

 

The USTA Eastern Section, based in White Plains, N.Y., is a not-for-profit community service organization whose mission is to promote and develop the growth of tennis.

 

The section encompasses all of New York State, Northern New Jersey and Greenwich, Conn. It is one of 17 geographic sections of the United States Tennis Association, the governing body of tennis in the United States, and supports more than 49,000 members. The section also establishes and maintains rules of fair play, high standards of sportsmanship and represents, in its jurisdiction, the programs and policies of the USTA.

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Contact:
Joe Ceriello
jceriello@nyjtl.org

NYJTL Launches Serve & Connect, Engaging Law Enforcement and the Community

Posted on by joe
New York (February 13) – Serve & Connect, a community engagement program connecting police and children in a safe and fun tennis setting, returns on February 24 for the second season for three months at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Crotona Park.
Serve & Connect will be held Saturdays at the Cary Leeds Center, which is within walking distance of 30,000 school children, from 4 – 7 pm from February 24 through May 19. The program provides on-court tennis, off-court mentorship, and a warm meal for all participants.
Designed by New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) with partner USTA Foundation, Serve & Connect, formerly known as Volley Against Violence, is designed to improve perceptions and relationships among youth, police, and residents.
“Through comprehensive and positive youth engagement strategies such as Serve & Connect, NYJTL builds character in under-resourced youth living in the most challenging neighborhoods in New York City,” said George Guimaraes, NYJTL CEO.
Local NYPD Precinct 42 has fully embraced the program, and under the watchful eye of Deputy Inspector, Ernest Morales III, Precinct 42 provides police officers on a volunteer basis.
“We have 12 weeks to build a long lasting relationship between officers and kids all while providing them a safe haven and teaching them tennis,” said D.I. Morales. “These are life lessons that can make a real difference.”
Serve & Connect originated in Boston conceived by Sportsmen’s Tennis Enrichment in 2009. Based on the acceptance of the program in the communities, the USTA Foundation has expanded to eight programs this year, including Sportsmen’s Tennis & Enrichment Center and NYJTL.
“The USTA Foundation is committed to the youth participants from our hundreds of NJTL programs throughout the country and teaching them the importance of developing into model citizens and is proud to launch the Serve & Connect initiative,” said Dan Faber, Executive Director, USTA Foundation.
NYJTL launched “Grow with the Game” in 2017 investing significant funding to introduce its Intensive Training Program and to expand its pathway program from Community Tennis and ACES Afterschool programs to its highest level of training in the Advanced Training Program (also known as NYJTL Tournament Team). In addition to expanding its on-court offerings, NYJTL utilized the Cary Leeds Center to offer a 10-week Princeton Review SAT Preparatory class for high school juniors which began earlier this month.
Media are welcome to attend the Serve & Connect classes. The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning is located at 1720 Crotona Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10457.
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 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 under-resourced 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.