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What is the USTA National Junior Tennis and Learning?
Founded in 1969 by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell, and Sheridan Snyder, the USTA/National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network is a nation-wide group of community tennis organizations seeking to develop the character of young people through tennis and education.
Goals include:
- 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, drug and alcohol counseling, to things like computer skills training, health and nutrition, and college preparation. The NJTL is a great way for kids to get exercise, make friends, and have fun in a team-oriented and safe environment.
This curriculum is offered at little or no cost to the participant. Many of the costs associated with running a program are decentralized by in-kind and monetary support from the USTA, allowing for local chapters/programs to provide high-quality programming for their constituents.
With over 520 registered chapters/programs throughout the nation and 200,000 participants aged 6 – 18, chances are there is a program in your community.
NJTL Best Practices
The following collection of best practices was created by the NJTL Committee of volunteers with the intention of sharing with the NJTL network their knowledge and experience, which in some cases amounts to more than 35 years of experience and several multi-million dollar non-profit organizations.Click here for complete list.
For additional information on NJTL chapters in Middle States contact Renee Bridges at bridges@ms.usta.com.