The Hartman Cup is upon us. The annual three-week, year-end tournament brings to a close the Winter Early Morning Program (WEMP) after 20 weeks of teaching tennis skills to youth from across the city.
This year the Hartman Cup concludes the last weekend of March, with semi-finals on the 28th and Finals and Awards’ presentations on the 29th, at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
WEMP traditionally runs from the beginning of November through the end of March each year.
While kids and teens take part in two other tournaments during the Winter Early Morning Program, the Hartman Cup, for many players, introduces them to a two-day competition, which can result in advancement or elimination at the end of a preliminary early round.
Once the top four players from the eight divisions are chosen, they then compete in a single elimination showdown to determine the Champion.
What also sets the Hartman Cup apart is that in addition to the singles’ competition, players who advance through various rounds in the tournament also accumulate points for their “teams”; the team with the most points wins the Hartman Cup.
Over the years, the Hartman Cup has drawn between 100 and 150 participants, and concludes with an exciting breakfast and Awards Ceremony in which top finishers in each of the 10 groupings receive trophies.
And, there actually is a Hartman Cup trophy that is presented to the winning team.