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11/6/09 6:36 PM
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Oludayo Areke (Clarksville, MD) won the USTA/Mid-Atlantic Section essay contest last year and this year placed first in the art contest in the fourth-eighth grade division. Isabelle Ditthavong (Annandale, VA) finished first in the art contest for kindergarteners-third graders. Essay-contest winners are Revanth Vejju (Centreville, VA) in the kindergarten-third grade division and Madeline Nguyen (McLean, VA) in the fourth-eighth grade division.
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10/6/09 1:34 PM
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Shiloh Baptist Church has adult and junior programs called Tennis at Shiloh (TAS). The USTA awarded TAS a Diversity Signature grant last spring to create an 18-and-under Junior Team Tennis team, cardio tennis and adult clinics on Saturday mornings in DC.
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9/8/09 3:39 PM
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BALTIMORE, MD--Tennis Everyone was an event that acknowledged individuals whose leadership promoted diversity and growth in the life sport of tennis, especially prior to 1969. These tennis pioneers helped break down the racial barriers through sponsorship of youth and adult recreational tennis programs in public parks, by supporting the American Tennis Association (ATA) and US (Lawn) Tennis circuits, inspiring educational excellence, and generating interest in professional and entrepreneurial opportunities in the tennis and sports industry. Their impact has been far-reaching and immeasurable.
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9/15/09 5:41 PM
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LAYC children and Rafael Nadal
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The USTA honored tennis great Richard Alonso "Pancho" Gonzalez on the US Open’s center court and Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) children were invited to attend the ceremony. LAYC was the first organization in the country to recognize the legacy of this great Hispanic champion when it started the Pancho Gonzalez Tennis Academy three years ago. The youth not only had the chance to attend the private festivities, but also watched some great tennis and met Pancho Gonzalez' son, Skylar Gonzalez, actor Jimmy Smits and the No. 2 ranked tennis player in the world, Rafael Nadal.
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8/13/09 4:34 PM
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REACH FOR COLLEGE! of Washington, D.C. will have an Art Fundraiser hosted by Galerie Myrtis in Baltimore. Proceeds will benefit scholarships for youth going to and succeeding in college.
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5/19/09 12:34 PM
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Fairfax, VA - The Thai Tennis Organization in America (TTOA) is proud to announce our 6th Annual Asian Food and Tennis Festival at the Lake Newport Tennis Facility in Reston, VA on Saturday, August 1, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday August 2 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Asian Food and Tennis Festival is a two-day FREE ADMISSION event to promote a greater understanding of the Asian-Americans and their cultures. Each year, the festival showcases the culture of a particular Asian country and this year, it is India. This year, we celebrate and explore the diverse Indian cultures by bringing India’s authentic regional foods, arts, crafts and entertainments including the ever exciting Bollywood & Bhangra dancing.
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5/21/09 3:39 PM
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The greater Washington area's premier South Asian festival is back! Come join thousands of your closest friends at the award-winning Star Heritage India Festival and enjoy the sights, sounds, fragrances and tastes of the best of South Asia, all under one roof.
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4/29/09 3:29 PM
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Harshitha Mattapally's 2008 winning artwork
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For the Art Contest, students are invited to submit original art work that reflects the increasing diversity of tennis. For the Essay Contest, students may submit a paragraph of no more than 300 words on how playing and watching tennis has been a positive influence in their lives. Awards will be presented to first- and second-place winners.
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5/1/09 3:17 PM
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Role models make a difference. Alice Lee, a retired DC math teacher, started playing tennis because of Zina Garrison. In the late ‘80s, Zina Garrison was a role model for Lee. Garrison, who was ranked as high as No. 4 in the world, was a Wimbledon finalist, an Olympic Doubles Gold Medalist, and a three-time Grand Slam Mixed-Doubles Champion. “Zina came to our school promoting tennis and hitting balls to kids down in the gymnasium,” said the athletic teacher, who used to participate in gymnastics and basketball. “Because of her, I started watching tennis and thinking that I wanted to play. I am athletic and I just like sports. I just started doing tennis because it was something I could do at school.” When the 73-year-old Lee was growing up, sports were different. “Gymnastics was more like tumbling,” she said. “When I played basketball, we were limited to one bounce.”
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2/5/09 4:58 PM
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Cora Masters Barry and her Southeast Tennis and Learning Center tennis players
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USTA Serves seven Mid-Atlantic tennis programs. These recipients return the favor by helping children pursue their dreams. An Achievable Dream (Newport News, VA); Reach for College! Inc. (Washington, DC); VCU Foundation, Lobs and Lessons (Richmond, VA); and the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (Washington, DC) received 2008 Year-End grants. The Annapolis Area Tennis School (Annapolis, MD); Latin American Youth Center (Washington, DC); Recreation Wish List Committee (Washington, DC); and Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (Washington, DC) were awarded 2008 Year-End Public Affairs grants.
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1/30/09 2:50 PM
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UMW women’s tennis team volunteers.
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The University of Mary Washington tennis teams serve not only on the court but serve underprivileged children. The Eagle men and women volunteered at the Olde Forge Community Center in Fredericksburg, VA. More than 400 UMW student-athletes donated their time to the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day as part of a school- and department-wide challenge to perform service in the community. The team spent the day with underprivileged children from the Old Forge Neighborhood by reading books, playing games and working on arts and crafts. UMW women’s head coach Patrick Catullo said, “It was a great experience to see the joy of the children as they had an opportunity to interact with the women’s tennis team.”
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1/26/09 1:39 PM
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Arthur Ashe was an American hero fighting battles both on and off the court. In his life, he broke barriers in the tennis world, becoming a three-time grand slam champion, and the first African American male to win a grand slam tournament. Off the court, he was a social activist taking on issues like racial prejudice, AIDS, apartheid, and youth education. One of his many legacies includes the National Junior Tennis League (“NJTL”), a network of youth serving organizations that provides tennis and education for all. His wish was for NJTL to be a resource for kids to develop skills for leadership and academic excellence. As a participant at one of the 550 NJTLs across the United States, we want to hear what Arthur Ashe means to you. If you are an NJTL participant, then write or draw about what this Arthur Ashe quote means to you: “From what we get, we make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.”
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1/15/09 2:09 PM
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Multicultural Participation Committee co-chair Shantha Chandra introduced Bellows Spring Elementary School Children to QuickStart Tennis in their physical education classes. “This is their first-time introduction of tennis in the PE curriculum,” she said. “We worked with them for the whole week, about 30 hours. They have three wonderful PE teachers and parent volunteers.” She said winter is the best time before they get busy with basketball and volleyball. She was happy to work with the children. “The students are good listeners and eager to learn tennis,” she added. “We had fun. They are continuing this program for two more weeks.”
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11/7/08 5:08 PM
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Financial disparity is consistently identified as a significant barrier that prevents multicultural players from getting into the sport. To help boost tennis participation among aspiring multicultural players, the USTA has created the Multicultural Grants Program, which offers grants to programs, community tennis associations and individual players.
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11/5/08 1:12 PM
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2008 was another great year in increasing minority participation throughout the Mid-Atlantic Section. The Multicultural Participation Committee (MPC) supported not-for-profit membership organizations that work year round to promote and develop the growth of tennis. MPC members and volunteers helped to maintain and increase minority participation through actively supporting USTA Organizations at events and through sponsoring projects and awarding grants. One such project, which had major success, was the Multicultural Art and Essay contest. The committee received numerous Art and Essay entries from many third-eighth graders throughout the Section. Both winners will be recognized at the Mid-Atlantic Section awards luncheon on Nov. 15. They will receive a tennis racquet, bag and US Open Book, which displays tennis highlights since the Open Era.
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9/22/08 3:58 PM
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HYATTSVILLE, MD -- Thousands of people attended the 27th Annual Hispanic Festival, which was the best party in September. The kids headed to the children’s area for fun games, including QuickStart, pony rides, rock climbing, slides, crafts, and face painting. Hundreds of children and adults played QuickStart tennis and volleyed back and forth with Mid-Atlantic Tennis Service Representative Lynn Gertzog, Community Tennis and Diversity Manager Ronnie Goodall, and Communications Manager Tammy Reeher.
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5/28/08 6:38 PM
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To introduce children to tennis, the Washington Tennis Association (WTA) co-sponsored the National Asian Heritage Festival at Third-Sixth Streets; Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; Washington, DC. Besides tennis, other activities were outdoor craft exhibits, live performances, food and open market vendors, interactive displays, health testing, martial arts, rock climbing and talent shows to celebrate the diversity of Asians’ heritage. The WTA also partnered with the Multicultural Participation (MP) Committee for this event. Emphasis was placed on promoting diversity in tennis. MP Art & Essay flyers were distributed to third-eighth graders. MP Co-Chairs Hai Tran and Shantha Chandra helped make the event successful. Besides Tran and Chandra, other USTA volunteers who helped with the event were Clinton Mack, James Ridgley, Alice Lee, Maurice Patterson, and Carmela Goodall.
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5/1/09 3:27 PM
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MAS Hall of Famer Cora Masters Barry & Former DC Mayor Anthony Williams
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2007 Mid-Atlantic Hall of Fame inductee Cora Masters Barry is a role model for her Southeast Tennis and Learning Center students. Barry, former District of Columbia first lady, is Founder and CEO of the Recreation Wish List Committee (RWLC) of Washington, DC, which recently completed its flagship project, the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (SETLC), a $5.1 million tennis facility in Washington, DC.
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2/17/09 12:14 PM
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WHITE PLAINS, NY –Kevin Clayton has been named USTA Chief Diversity Officer. Clayton will work out of the USTA’s national headquarters in White Plains, N.Y., and report to Gordon Smith, USTA Executive Director and COO. Smith said, “The USTA remains committed to making diversity an embedded part of the USTA culture in both the sport of tennis and the USTA itself.
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