Entries Open for 2015 Arthur Ashe Essay Contest

The United States Tennis Association will again honor Arthur Ashe, his legacy of the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) — a network of youth-serving organizations that provide tennis and education for all — and his many advocacy efforts during his lifetime with the 2015 Arthur Ashe Essay Contest.

Ashe was an American hero fighting battles both on and off the court. He broke barriers in the tennis world, becoming the first African-American male to win a Grand Slam tournament and finishing his career with three Grand Slam titles, including the 1968 US Open.

Off the court, he was a social activist taking on issues like racial prejudice, AIDS, apartheid and education. His wish was for NJTL to be a resource for kids to develop skills for leadership and academic excellence.

This year’s essay question includes Charlie Pasarell, along with Ashe one of the founders of the NJTL. NJTL has impacted millions of kids throughout the country over the past 46 years. The game of tennis serves as a mechanism to break down barriers and bring people of diverse backgrounds together. This was true in Charlie Pasarell’s and Arthur Ashe’s era, and still holds true today.

This year’s question for young essay writers is: Who is a local NJTL hero in your community that resembles what Mr. Pasarell has done through NJTL?

Entries, including completed entry form, must be submitted online to the USTA Foundation or mailed/hand-delivered to your local NJTL Chapter by June 25, 2015 at 5 p.m. ET (mail-in entries must be postmarked by June 25, 2015 and received by your local NJTL Chapter no later than July 2, 2015).

For complete rules and deadlines, go to www.USTAFoundation.com/AAEC.