Thanks to USTA Eastern, the USTA Foundation, the American Tennis Association (ATA) and the generosity of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, dozens of local National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) students recently had the opportunity to play and win at an innovative, new tennis competition on May 14: the ATA NJTL Eastern Cup.
After competing in some tennis-themed activities—including a relay race while balancing a ball on a racquet—participating youth enjoyed a tour of the campus, and military pilot Rumeal Lewis spoke to the students about his experiences in the sport. Growing up, Lewis refined his tennis skills with the 15-Love NJTL, a chapter that was in attendance, and grew up to play varsity tennis for four years in high school. He graduated from the academy at West Point in 2012, and as an aviation officer with the U.S. Army, he has traveled all over the world to countries including South Korea, Germany, Poland, Great Britain and Belgium.
Katrina Adams, former professional tennis player, past president and CEO of the USTA and chair of the US Open, also addressed the participants. Adams is also the executive director of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program (HJTEP), and her NJTL was also in attendance.
Click here to see more photos from the inaugural ATA NJTL Eastern Cup.