USTA Celebrates 50 Years of the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) Network

The USTA Foundation, the national charitable arm of the United States Tennis Association, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network by launching an NJTL 50th Anniversary campaign.

Arthur Ashe cofounded the NJTL network in 1969 along with longtime tennis greats Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder. The three founders envisioned the NJTL as a way to reach young people in inner cities and to use tennis as a platform to teach them important life lessons.

Current Florida NJTLs are the Delray Beach Youth Tennis Foundation, First Serve, First Serve Miami, Frontline Outreach Inc., the MaliVai Washington Kids Foundation, Aces in Motion, and the Venom Foundation, Inc.

In 2014 the NJTL network combined with the USTA Foundation. NJTL chapters are supported by the USTA Foundation through grants such as the Program and Capacity Building grants. Today the NJTL network features nearly 300 chapters that reach approximately 180,000 youth on an annual basis, providing free or low-cost tennis and education programming to the 50 largest markets in the U.S.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the NJTL network, the USTA Foundation has created a new USTA Foundation logo, and will launch a series of stories titled “NJTL 50 for 50,” highlighting a combination of 50 NJTL participants, leaders, pioneers and alumni. These captivating stories will shed light on the positive impact their programs have had on their lives, and will be featured on USTA.com and USTAFoundation.com, as well as USTA and US Open social media channels using #NJTL50.

As we begin our closer look at the people who make a difference in their communities through tennis, we highlight Barbara Wynne, co-founder of @NJTLofIndy in Indianapolis, IN. #NJTL50 https://t.co/KAha3hv9hN

— USTA (@usta) March 28, 2019

The campaign will also include the release of a new public service announcement, narrated by longtime USTA Foundation supporter and Past President Mary Carillo. The PSA entitled “When They Grow Up,” focuses on five typical NJTL participants imagining a successful future through their on-court and in classroom experiences.

For its fundraising efforts, the USTA Foundation has implemented a new text-to-donate option and unveil a new Avenue of Aces® 50th Anniversary Celebration Court at the 2019 US Open. This will feature 50 bricks and pavers in the Celebration Court area on the east end of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Fifty percent of the net proceeds from the 50th Anniversary Celebration Court will support Arthur Ashe’s legacy at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) through the Arthur Ashe Jr. Scholarship Fund, and the Arthur Ashe Legacy Fund. For more information, fans and supporters should visit www.ustafoundation.com/avenue-of-aces-50/.

“The USTA Foundation has a lot to celebrate this year, and we’re especially excited to highlight 50 years of the NJTL network,” said Dan Faber, executive director, USTA Foundation. “We are proud of how this powerful network continues to uplift and impact under-resourced youth through tennis and education programs, as well as instill the ideals and values demonstrated and taught by its founders, Arthur Ashe, Sheridan Snyder and Charlie Pasarell.”

To read the full release go to www.usta.com/news.