2010 Usta/Njtl Arthur Ashe Essay Contest Winners to Attend Arthur Ashe Kids' Day in New York
No. 132-2010
2010 USTA/NJTL ARTHUR ASHE ESSAY CONTEST WINNERS TO ATTEND ARTHUR ASHE KIDS’ DAY IN NEW YORK
Winners to be Honored at Luncheon Hosted by Former New York City Mayor David Dinkins
FLUSHING, N.Y., August 27, 2010 – The USTA announced today the 10 winners of the 12 th annual USTA/NJTL Arthur Ashe Essay Contest. The 10 winners, ranging in ages from 10 to 18, will each receive a travel package to New York City for the weekend of August 27-29. The weekend includes round-trip coach airfare to New York for the winners and a parent/legal guardian; a two-night stay at the Grand Hyatt 42 nd Street; a Circle Line Cruise around New York City; tickets to Broadway’s “Wicked,” and seats in the President’s Box for the 2010 Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day presented by Hess on August 28 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day is the official kick-off for the 2010 US Open that will run from August 30 - September 12.
The highlight of the weekend will be an Awards Luncheon on August 29, hosted by former New York City Mayor and USTA Board Member David Dinkins, where the winners will receive an honorary plaque. Blake Strode, the men’s champion of this year’s US Open National Playoffs, and one of the inaugural winners of the Arthur Ashe Essay contest in 1999 will speak at this year’s luncheon.
The essay contest is exclusively for those 18 and younger who participate in National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network chapters nationwide. Entrants were asked to write an essay of 300 words or less, responding to the question “Some say that winning the 1968 US Open as the first African- American male was Arthur Ashe’s greatest accomplishment. What do you think?”. A USTA sub-committee selected the winning essays based on the writers’ knowledge of Arthur Ashe, message clarity, and writing style.
“The Arthur Ashe Essay Contest is a means of recognizing young people by giving them an opportunity to showcase, through written expression, their knowledge of Arthur Ashe, his legacy, and the many contributions he made both on and off the tennis court,” said Barry Ford, Director, Outreach and Advocacy, USTA. “Using Arthur’s vision as a conduit, we hope this experience in New York City will have a profound impact on the growth and development of these brilliant writers and many more young people for years to come.”
The 10 winners of the 2010 USTA/NJTL Arthur Ashe Essay Contest are:
Name Hometown Paige Moore Washington, DC Daniel Stewart Birmingham, Alabama Isis Gill-Reid Brooklyn, New York Kieran Walsh St. Paul, Minnesota Allyce Harrison Wichita, Kansas Varun Medhal Camas, Washington Vietmy Tran San Francisco, California Cody Stewart Duncanville, Texas Grace Trimble Winchester, Kentucky Francis Cuenca San Bruno, California
Presented by Hess and produced by the USTA, Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day honors tennis legend Arthur Ashe and continues his mission of using tennis as a means to instill in kids the values of humanitarianism, leadership and academic excellence. A portion of the proceeds from Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day benefit the USTA National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network. Ashe, along with Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder, founded the NJTL in 1969. Ashe envisioned NJTL, “as a way to gain and hold the attention of young people in the inner cities and their poor environments so that we can teach them about matters more important than tennis.”
NJTL has grown to over 550 chapters serving over 225,000 youth each year, making it one of the USTA’s largest community-based offerings. It is a delivery system for the USTA’s programs, giving young people an opportunity to play tennis while also providing a safe haven, adult role models and tennis instruction.
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The NJTL is a nation-wide network of community tennis organizations seeking to develop the character of young people through tennis and education. Founded in 1969 by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell, and Sheridan Snyder, this growing network of tennis providers share similar values, ideals, and goals by: • reaching out to those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to play tennis • instilling in youngsters the values of leadership and academic excellence • giving all kids (regardless of income, race, gender) the opportunity to fully develop their tennis skills so they can derive a life time of enjoyment from the sport NJTLs are unique because they offer a variety of on-court programming and also educational and life-skill components designed to enhance a player’s overall development. These educational components are diverse in nature, but can vary from things like mentoring and drug and alcohol counseling, to things like computer skills training, health and nutrition, and college preparation.
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 750,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 90-plus Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. USTA Serves, the National Charitable Foundation of the USTA, provides financial support for disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities through tennis and education programs. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.
For more information, contact: Tom LaDue, Manager, Communications, USTA (914) 697-2352; [email protected]