SPRING 2005 NEWS USTA President Franklin R. Johnson Names the National NJTL Committee USTA Chairman of the Board and President, Franklin R. Johnson has named the National NJTL Committee that will serve the 2005-2006 term. President Johnson could not have made a better choice in his selection of the NJTL national committee, said D.A. Abrams, Director of Outreach. Abrams went on to say, the committee is made up of folks with a true understanding of how NJTL works at the local level, as many of the members are local NJTL Chapter Leaders. The committee chair is Ned Eames, the founder and Executive Director of Tenacity, Inc., a Boston, MA based NJTL Chapter that has recently achieved NJTL Flagship status. The 2005-2006 NJTL Committee NAME LOCATION SECTION Cora Barry Washington, DC Mid-Atlantic Beverly Bourguet Albuquerque, NM Southwest Aldo Cantellano Vadnais Heights, MN Northern Kevin Dowdell Washington, DC Mid-Atlantic Robert Dryfoos New York, NY Eastern Ned Eames West Roxbury, MA New England Bronal Harris Philadelphia, PA Middle States Lewis Hartman Woodside, NY Eastern Timothy Heath New York, NY Eastern Jay Massart Menomonee Falls, WI Midwest Carl Mendoza San Francisco, CA Northern California Charles Pasarell Indian Wells, CA Southern California William Rombeau Toluca Lake, CA Southern California Orlando Temple Dallas, TX Texas Scott Tharp Philadelphia, PA Middle States Amy Wishingrad Groton, MA New England Barbara Wynne Indianapolis, IN Midwest Odetta Semple Hired as Outreach Assistant USA Tennis NJTL is happy to announce that Odetta Semple has joined the USTA as the new Administrative Assistant for the Outreach Department, which is housed in the Community Tennis Development Division. Odetta began employment with the USTA on Monday, February 21st. Prior to this, she served as the Senior Administrative Assistant for Women In Need, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides social service assistance to over 7,500 women and children who are homeless and disadvantaged throughout New York City. Odetta has also worked as the Office Manager for the Pratt Area Community Council, an organization dedicated to providing low-income housing to disadvantaged families in central Brooklyn, NY. Arthur Ashe Essay Contest Returns to Being NJTL Benefit Seven years ago, Barbara Wynne, a USTA National Committee member, created the Arthur Ashe Essay Contest as a tribute to her friend and tennis great, Arthur Ashe, who was one of tennis greatest ambassadors both on and off the court. Ashe was the first African-American man to win the US Open in 1968 and went on to win 33 titles in his career including the Australian Open in 1970. Off the court, Ashe worked tirelessly to eliminate racism and poverty around the world, especially in segregated South Africa. He also devoted countless time and effort to creating tennis opportunities for youngsters from all backgrounds. After 2 years of having the contest open to all school aged children across the country, the Arthur Ashe Essay Contest is again open only to NJTL participants and those children affiliated with an NJTL. A real benefit to NJTL chapters and programs, the essay contest encourages NJTL participants to learn about Arthur Ashe and his legacy on and off the court. The essay question, Why is Arthur Ashe a legend? should be answered in 300 words or less on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Each essay must be received with an accompanying entry form signed by the NJTL child s parent or guardian. Only complete entries will be considered valid. All essays will be judged on skill and content. The 10 national winners will receive an all expenses paid trip to New York City to attend Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the National Tennis Center. The winners will also be treated to a sporting event, a Broadway show, a cruise around New York, and a luncheon hosted in their honor by David Dinkins, former mayor of New York City and USTA Board member. All active, registered NJTL s will receive a video about Arthur Ashe (while supplies last) and a guide to conducting an essay contest, as well as the contest application form. The application form is also available on-line at: http://www.usta.com/communitytennis>usa Tennis NJTL.
NJTL Regional Rallies: Coming to an Area Near You NJTL offers many programs and services to our Network of Chapters and Programs. The NJTL Regional Rallies are one of our longest running and most successful offerings. The NJTL Regional Rallies began in 1988 in response to Chapter and Program requests for an event where teams from neighboring Chapters and Programs could gather and participate in fun-filled, action-packed tennis experiences. Close to 100 NJTL Regional Rallies will be held around the country during the months of May August. For more information on a NJTL Regional Rally near you, contact Helyn Edwards at hedwards@usta.com or your local USTA Section Office. NJTL Tennis Leadership Camp: A Life Changing Experience Forty youngsters, ages 11-14 will be selected to attend the 2005 NJTL Tennis Leadership Camp: A Life Changing Experience, which will be held July 19-24 in Orlando, FL. The NJTL Tennis Leadership Camp was created in 1984 to provide an educational and motivational tennis experience for USA Tennis NJTL participants who could not otherwise afford such an opportunity. Forty fortunate players from USA Tennis NJTL Programs and Chapters will be invited to attend the all-expenses paid week-long experience. The camp s objective is to provide NJTL participants with a tennis and social experience of a lifetime. The week-long event emphasizes character and leadership development, good sportsmanship, physical fitness, proper nutrition, and other healthy attitudes. Tennis is the focus of the week; however, other activities are planned such as sightseeing, cultural, sporting, and social activities. Adult counselors will meet the campers at the airport and will be with them for the entire week. The application form is available on-line at: http://www.usta.com/communitytennis>usa Tennis NJTL. For more information, contact Helyn Edwards at hedwards@usta.com. (Students sign in for after-school tennis class) Puerto Rico Conducts Successful NJTL After-School Pilot Program As part of a Drug Prevention Grant for the Puerto Rico Department of Education, the Puerto Rico Tennis Association will offer tennis as part of their after school programming, called Escuela Abierta (Open School). The Department of Education will staff the after school program in 20 schools with equipment provided by NJTL. They will provide payment for the teachers time, meals for the kids, and supplies other than tennis equipment. Two days/week following a meal and tutoring, the kids will play tennis for 1 1/2 hours. The other 3 days the children will follow a meal and tutoring with art, music, dance, and other sports. Following a 6-hour Recreational Coaches Workshop, the pilot program consisted of 6 weeks of beginner tennis instruction, 6 weeks of full-court tennis instruction, 4 weeks of inter-school Team Tennis (RalleyBall), and a concluding Team Tennis tournament attended by Helyn Edwards and Dan Limbago from USTA National office. All 20 schools are sites of the Puerto Rico Tennis Association NJTL, a Capacity Building Chapter. Already a success, the Director of the program wants to expand the program to reach more schools in the fall. NJTL Launches Capacity Building Program (National Committee Chair Ned Eames, front row, 3rd from left, and USTA National Staff with NJTL Capacity Building Chapter leaders at 2005 Community Tennis Development Workshop in Destin, Florida) The NJTL network has several large, highly successful chapters that have $1,000,000+ budgets and serve thousands of children with yearround programming. These flagship NJTL s represent the model of best practices and long-term achievement in the NJTL network. At the same time, NJTL has many small programs that provide excellent tennis instruction and an opportunity for participants to develop a wide range of important life skills. Small, high quality programs will always be an important component of NJTL. Somewhere in between are programs and/or chapters that seek to expand their impact by serving a greater number of kids and providing more comprehensive youth development opportunities. Often, programs and chapters that seek to expand must first develop additional management capabilities. Outside assistance with management and organizational issues can greatly increase the odds that such organizations will be successful in making this transition. continued
Capacity Building Program continued In the fall of 2004, USA Tennis NJTL launched its Capacity Building Program. This program is designed to provide long-term assistance to selected chapters that are committed to achieving significant qualitative and quantitative growth and to developing management capabilities necessary to achieve their goals. NJTL national staff will focus on a specific group of chapters, to best assess their needs and tailor assistance accordingly for the greatest impact. Selected chapters will receive several major benefits, including: Management assistance from the NJTL national staff, concentrating on nonprofit organizational development: Assistance with an organization assessment, planning for growth, fundraising, board development, financial management, operating procedures, etc. Tennis programming assistance from the NJTL national staff and NJTL volunteer committee members: Assistance with on-court programs, coach training, facilities management, events, recruitment of participants, management of volunteers, etc. Educational component programming assistance from NJTL national staff, with support from field experts. Youth development programming assistance from NJTL national staff, with support from youth development experts. Assistance from NJTL national staff will be provided via on-site consultation, national and regional workshops, phone consultation, webbased information sharing, and referrals to other programs and volunteers with appropriate expertise. In addition, chapter leaders will receive stipends to attend the Community Tennis Development Workshop, and special NJTL Capacity Building Program meetings. There will also be opportunities for local and national publicity, and support for local fundraising. For more information on the Capacity Building Program, contact Dan Limbago, NJTL Capacity Building Manager, at limbago@usta.com. NJTL National Registry of Chapters & Programs NJTL has published the new NJTL National Registry of Chapters & Programs. The user-friendly format allows you to look up neighboring NJTL s with whom you can share information, ideas, and friendly competition via the Regional Rallies. This year s registry also contains poster templates that can be customized for your events and then printed on a home or office printer or at your local copy center. The NJTL Registry CD-ROM was included in the Free NJTL Materials distribution that was mailed to all active, registered NJTL chapters and programs. Relaxed Exclusive Territory Rules Help Expand NJTL Network Organizations that have 501(c)3 tax-exempt status are allowed to do their own fundraising and are eligible to receive funding from foundations like the USTA Tennis & Education Foundation. In the past, NJTL s were permitted to request exclusive territory to limit the number of NJTL s seeking funding from the same local sources. At the end of 2004, the NJTL national staff re-visited this policy with members of the national NJTL committee. It was decided that the policy would be relaxed and that all new chapters and programs wishing to become NJTL s could do so regardless of the existence of NJTL chapters in a particular area. There is a restriction that allows NJTL s with established exclusive territory rights to retain exclusive rights to use NJTL in their name. In other words, if a 501(c)3 NJTL called USA Tennis NJTL Springfield already existed in a particular area, any new 501(c)3 Chapter would be prohibited from using NJTL in its name. The new entity could be Springfield Tennis Program, but not Springfield NJTL. The description NJTL can always be added in a tag line- Springfield Tennis Program: a USA Tennis NJTL Chapter. Since the relaxation of the exclusive territory rule, many new chapters and programs have joined the NJTL Network. USA Tennis NJTL is proud to welcome: Phoenix After-School Sports- Phoenix, AZ Tennis In Motion- Atlanta, GA VegasTennis.com s Marty Hennessy Junior Tennis Foundation - Las Vegas, NV Co-Op City Tennis Club- Bronx, NY Junior Tennis Clinic, Inc.- Brooklyn, NY Harlem Junior Tennis Program- New York, NY Leslie Allen Foundation- Win4Life Charleston- Charleston, SC Zina Garrison All-Court Tennis Academy- Houston, TX
Amy Yee Tennis Center Voted USTA Member Organization of the Year (courtesy of the USTA National Awards Committee) At the 2005 USTA Annual Meeting and Conference Volunteer Awards Program, a question was raised who can boast of a hundred and four thousand players in one year at their facility? The answer is the Amy Yee Tennis Center of Seattle, Washington. Owned and operated by the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, the Amy Yee Tennis Center opened its doors in 1977 and became the largest public indoor tennis facility in the Puget Sound area. With a staff of three full-time administrators and thirty-three instructors and desk staff, the Amy Yee tennis center offers a hundred and fifty competitive and instruction programs on its ten indoor courts. With instruction starting at age four, junior players progress through the USA Tennis NJTL and Youth Team Tennis programs to ultimately compete at the high school and even collegiate levels. Through a joint-use agreement between the Seattle parks department and the Seattle public schools, the outdoor courts are used during the school s tennis season at no charge. Each year high school teams from across the region come to the tennis center to compete in their respective divisions for spots in the WIAA state tennis tournament. (l. to r.- Rose Hobson, National Awards Committee Chair, Franklin Johnson, USTA President & CEO, Mya Lockwood, Manager, USA Tennis NJTL Seattle, and Carolyn Riley, Awards Committee Vice-Chair.) Each year more than fifty USA league adult, senior, super senior and mixed doubles teams call the tennis center home. The Amy Yee Tennis Center also hosts nine tournaments annually with over thirteen thousand players participating. Their tournament program just celebrated twentyfive years and garnered wonderful local press coverage, which is essential to the success of any program. Proceeds from these events help support a junior scholarship fund which encourages low-income youth to participate in lesson programs. They have a very pro-active school and community multicultural outreach program, sponsored by several individuals through the USTA Pacific Northwest section committees. The crown jewel of the Amy Yee tennis center is their NJTL program. For the past several years, it has been the mission of the Amy Yee tennis center to increase the expansion of NJTL across Seattle neighborhoods. The AYTC caters to a wide range of participants in age, ability and gender. They had more than four hundred and fifty-four juniors in the program and have many former NJTL program participants as the program s current tennis pros, illustrating a successful exchange between participant and mentor. Summer in Seattle means NJTL. In conjunction with a community-based volunteer organization within the Park and Rec. department called the Tennis Center Advisory Council, USA Team Tennis Youth is flourishing at the AYTC. They sent two teams to regional and national competition in 2004. The tennis center has aimed to expand this program by recruiting new players from the surrounding communities and providing them more opportunities for both local and national USA team tennis competition. But the AYTC does not stop there. They partnered with two organizations who specialize in supporting low-income groups: first, with Summit Seekers a nonprofit corporation dedicated to youth leadership education...they provide financial support for the NJTL invitational camp for local low-income students in the south Seattle area; and second with Atlantic Street center and el Centro de la Raza, the AYTC provides court time and instruction for homeless and low-income children. Partnering with the Park and Rec. department and USTA, the Amy Yee Tennis Center offers high quality tennis programs, tournaments and special events to a wide and diverse audience from the tiny tot to championship level player an outstanding achievement. USA Tennis NJTL Welcomes 50 New NYSP Programs The National Youth Sports Corporation operates over 200 National Sports Youth Programs (NYSP s). NYSP believes all children deserve equal opportunities and experiences at friendships during the summer. By using its resources, NYSP s give children of low-income families positive memories and useful skills for a lifetime. With this goal in mind, colleges and universities work to identify economically disadvantaged children who could most benefit from the safe haven and educational benefits of NYSP. Special emphasis is placed on teaching children the skills involved with a sport such as tennis which can lead to an active lifestyle after the school-age years. This active lifestyle is enhanced by establishing partnerships with national governing bodies of various sports, such as the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The USTA/USA Tennis NJTL assists the NYSP National Office and those programs that have tennis by offering innovative and age-appropriate teaching methods, equipment, and other support. One event sponsored by the USTA/USA Tennis NJTL and the NYSC/NYSP was a week-end training session for 320 university administrators, coaches, and summer instructors at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. D. A. Abrams and Helyn Edwards conducted several sessions of game-based teaching methods and activities with rotating groups on mini-courts in a ballroom. Afterwards, 50 new programs signed up with NJTL. We invite each of our section and district partners and other NJTL programs and chapters to welcome NYSP to activities and assist with support.
20 Years Ago... In 1985, during the NJTL Recreational Tennis Leadership Workshop (what would later become the USTA Community Tennis Development Workshop) the NJTL Chapter of the Year Award was presented to Fargo, ND- Red River Tennis Patrons. NJTL Among USTA Tennis & Education Foundation Grant Recipients (l-r) USTA Chairman of the Board & President Franklin R. Johnson, Dallas Tennis Association representatives Bert Cole, Tina Anderson, and Sue Wilhelm, and Scott Hanover, Chairman of the USTA Community Tennis Association Development Committee) Dallas Tennis Association is 2004 NJTL Chapter of the Year The Dallas Tennis Association was honored at the 2005 Community Tennis Development Workshop as the NJTL Chapter of the Year. Founded in the 1930s, the Dallas Tennis Association (DTA) collaborated with the City of Dallas Parks & Recreation in the 1960 s, to build the Samuell Grand Tennis Center. A major public tennis facility, it attracted the 1965 Davis Cup in which Arthur Ashe played. DTA sponsors several tennis programs for area adults and youth at 27 sites. The Special Populations & USA After-School Tennis program for hearing-impaired children provides tennis instruction at regional schools. The Multicultural Tennis Program links Spanish-speaking tennis pros with Spanish-speaking children and adults, and provides free lessons. The National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) program offers at-risk children free transportation to tennis centers, and equipment and awards for outstanding play and sportsmanship. The program runs year round and has over 2,000 participants. On November 20, 2004, the Dallas Tennis Association, had a re-opening celebration for the Kiest Tennis Center. Hundreds of neighborhood youth and adults came out to celebrate with free food, drinks, court time, and prizes. Lee Hamilton, USTA Executive Director, Carol Welder, Texas Section President, Ken McAllister, Texas Section Executive Director, and Laura Worsham, DTA President were on hand along with local dignitaries. Also in attendance were Henry Cox, Special Populations National Committee Member, and Tony Cook, member of the USA Deaf Federation National Team. During the on-court ceremonies, Helyn Edwards, Manager of NJTL & Special Populations, presented DTA Executive Director, Tina Anderson, and NJTL Coordinators Bert Cole and Sue Wilhelm with a certificate of recognition as the 2004 NJTL Chapter of the Year. This award is given to NJTL Chapters that have demonstrated continued excellence in youth programming. As part of the award, Ms. Anderson was flown to Destin, FL to attend the Community Tennis Development Workshop, and to accept a trophy on behalf of DTA at the Annual Awards ceremony, February 5, 2005. If you are interested in becoming the 2005 NJTL Organization of the Year, please send in your application. Look for this year s application in your USA Tennis NJTL annual mailing from USTA National in White Plains. The USTA Tennis & Education Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic entity of the USTA. The Foundation is committed to Building Lives Through Tennis and Education reaching out to disadvantaged and at-risk youth as well as to people with disabilities. In addition to awarding hundreds of scholarships to scores of young men and young women throughout the country, The Foundation helps fund USA Tennis National Junior Tennis League (NJTL) programs. The Foundation will also support programs that provide positive role models, academic assistance and life skills in addition to tennis, to help prevent substance abuse, violence and school dropouts. In the most recent grant reviews, 24 programs were awarded funding. USA Tennis NJTL extends congratulations to all of the grant recipients, and proudly recognizes the 16 NJTL chapters among them: City Parks Foundation Community Partnership for Youth Fort Snelling Tennis & Learning Center Greater Baltimore Tennis Patrons Leslie Allen Foundation Long Island Tennis & Sports Foundation NJTL of Indianapolis Net Results Junior Tennis Portland After-School Tennis Prince George s Tennis & Education Foundation Recreation Wish List Committee St. Paul Urban Tennis Sports, for Life! Foundation Tennis Opportunity Program (TOP) Youth Tennis Advantage Zina Garrison All-Court Tennis Foundation To find out more about USTA Tennis & Education Foundation Grants, go to www.usta.com and click on USTA Tennis & Education Foundation, or email foundation@usta.com. Did You Know Some NJTL participants have gone on to play professional tennis. Here are some past NJTL players currently on the pro circuit- Shenay Perry (Washington Tennis & Education Foundation, Washington, DC)- current WTA ranking 106 Donald Young, Jr. (Tennis In Motion, College Park, GA)- current ATP ranking 620 Rochelle Goldthreate (USA Tennis NJTL Hadley Park Tennis Club, Inc., Nashville, TN)- current WTA ranking 1293
USTA Awards Multicultural Grants to Outreach Programs In 2003 the United States Tennis Association elevated Multicultural Participation to a Level I Strategic Priority, recognizing that continued growth of the game will rely in part on having people of all cultures enjoy the sport. Lack of financial resources has been identified as a major barrier for local program organizers delivering tennis programs to multicultural audiences. It is with this in mind that the USTA, through its Diversity Department, is proud to offer grants to programs and CTA s to help boost participation. Of the 42 Community Tennis programs awarded 2005 Multicultural Outreach grants across the country, 55% were NJTL s- City Tennis Inc. Denton Johnson Tennis Corporation Lincoln Park Tennis Association Long Island Tennis & Sport Foundation Tennis Mania Inc. Eastside Tennis Association Black Women in Sports Foundation City of Reading Recreation Division Embrace your Dreams Lakeshore Tennis Association Inc. Love to Serve Inc. National Tennis League of Indianapolis Advantage In Sport Foundation USA Tennis National Junior Tennis League St. Paul Urban Tennis Program Multicultural Tennis & Tutoring Inc. Future Stars 2000 s, Inc. Youth Tennis Advantage Public Tennis Tennis in Motion Tennis in the Hood, Inc. Phoenix After School Sports Houston Tennis Association-NJTL 2005 Deadlines- Save the dates... To learn more about the USTA Diversity Department and the Multicultural Grants Program, log on to www.usta.com/diversity. 6/7 Tennis Leadership Camp applications due at USTA National office 6/14 Camp applications forwarded to Sections for their recommendations 6/21 Sectional Camp nominations due at USTA National office 6/28 National Tennis Leadership Camp selections announced 7/11 All Arthur Ashe Essays must be received at USTA National office 7/15 NJTL Chapter of the Year (COY) applications available 7/19-24 NJTL Invitational Tennis Leadership Camp 7/22 Sectional Arthur Ashe Essay Contest winners selected 7/29 National Arthur Ashe Essay Contest winners selected 8/26-28 National Arthur Ashe Essay Contest weekend in New York City 8/27-30 USA Tennis Teachers Conference 9/2-9 USTA Semi-Annual Meeting and Conference 9/9 Chapter of the Year applications due at USTA National office 9/19 Chapter of the Year applications forwarded to Sections 9/28 Sectional Chapter of the Year winners due from Sections 10/15 USTA Tennis & Education Foundation grant applications due at National 11/11 National Chapter of the Year selected USA Tennis NJTL News Phone: 914-696-7000 Fax: 914-696-7187 njtl@usta.com Committee Chairman: Ned Eames Director: D.A. Abrams Product Manager: Helyn Edwards Capacity Building Manager: Dan Limbago Coordinator: Ellen Louis Assistant: Odetta Semple 70 West Red Oak Lane, White Plains, NY 10604-3602 For every hour spent on the playing field, two should be spent with a book.~arthur Ashe Arthur Ashe - 1943-1993 National Junior Tennis League Co-founder