A total of 155 National Junior Tennis & Learning chapters (NJTL) in 41 states and the District of Columbia will benefit from nearly $3 million in the latest round of grants awarded by the USTA Foundation.
Click here to view the list of selected chapters.
These grants, targeted toward community programs designated by the 155 NJTL chapters, are anticipated to support more than 93,000 youth participants, and more than 68,000 hours of education and 122,000 hours of tennis activities. The grants are designated to support under-resourced youth through tennis and education programs designed to improve health, build character and strive for academic excellence, including the creation and expansion of after-school and summer camp programs.
The USTA Foundation also supports NJTL student-athletes through individual player grants, scholarships and additional funding throughout the year. To date, the USTA Foundation has awarded approximately $56 million in grants and scholarships.
“We couldn’t be more proud of the remarkable work being done by these NJTL chapters in carrying out our mission of changing kids’ lives through the powerful combination of sports and education,” said Dan Faber, Chief Executive, USTA Foundation. “It is important for us that our sport reflects the diversity in our country and that everyone feels welcome and has access to the many benefits of our sport, including physical and mental health, social and leadership skills and many other opportunities that will help them succeed on and off the court.”
While tennis participation boomed in the U.S. with a 27.9% increase of approximately 4.9 million players over the past two years, the NJTL network has grown to nearly 300 chapters to support the game's next generation. Their combined approach to tennis and education programming serves a diverse student populace. According to data from the 2021 NJTL enrollment survey, the total number of youth currently participating in NJTL programming is 45% African American, 20% Hispanic American, and 6% Asian American.