New York Junior Tennis & Learning (NYJTL) hosted its annual Fall Festival this week at its flagship location, the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning, in the Bronx. The festival brought together over 1,000 children from across the city who participate in NYJTL’s after school, tennis and scholar athlete programs.
Grace Bodenmann, Chief Education Officer, oversees all of NYJTL’S 42 afterschool programs across the city.
“Our mission is to make sure that we’re building our kids’ character on and off the court,” Bodenmann said. “They’re meeting people from all across New York City that are not just in their program, and they’re just having a really fun day to enjoy and also play some tennis along with it.”
P.S./M.S. 42 R. Vernam students Callie Miller and E’yhona Powell, who usually enjoy the after school activities, shared their favorite parts of the festivities at Crotona Park.
“One of my favorite things about this fall festival is when we went to play tennis,” Miller said, pointing out the support of her teachers as particularly encouraging.
Miller, on the other hand, found the pumpkin patch most exciting.
“You get to pick the pumpkin you want and you get to carve it when you get home,” Miller said.
At the festival, students could also participate in carnival games, get their face painted and enjoy a reptile experience from Mad Science.
Parents Francisco and Elena La Rosa reside in Brooklyn, but optionally attended the festival in support of their daughter, who has been with a NYJTL after school program for approximately three years.
“I feel it’s one of the best organizations we’ve ever been involved with. They really help the kids foster the ability they have to make it even better,” Francisco said.
The couple emphasized that the amount of different tournaments and events where students can practice, improve their own skill, and become eligible to play against increasingly skilled competitors is particularly helpful.
“It’s not a cheap sport either. They got to travel for the tournament, that also costs money. But the city of New York, together with this organization, does a great job allowing these kids and the parents to participate,” Francisco added.
Tennis is largely seen as a sport with a high financial barrier for entry and success; accommodations, travel, equipment, coaching, and practice can quickly become very expensive, while success in tournaments may do little to recoup these financial losses.
Wimbledon champion Noah Rubin spoke on the economics of tennis, which contributed to his temporary retirement in October 2022.
“If you don’t have the finances to have a team or to feel comfortable playing the way you need to play, then you’re not prepared against people that are. In that way, you’re probably going to lose a match, which then equates to you not making more money, and it just keeps going,” Rubin said.
Founded by Arthur Ashe — the only African American male player to have won the U.S. Open and Wimbledon — NYJTL offers free programming, including night and weekend tennis options, pushing for the sport’s accessibility to people of all backgrounds.
“A-lot of our kids get hooked on tennis just from participating after school. It may be a sport that they never really heard of. Then they get excited about it, they feel successful, they’re confident on the court, and it opens up a world for other opportunities outside of after school,” Bodenmann said.
