Arthur Ashe youth tennis program honors participants
‘Parade of Playgrounds’ will mark closing ceremony
The closing ceremony for nearly 1,000 boys and girls from Philadelphia, Camden and Norristown who participated in Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education’s 36th annual National Junior Tennis League Summer Program at 63 area recreation sites will be held on Thursday, Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. at the Awbury Recreation Center’s Tennis Stadium, 6101 Ardleigh St. in East Germantown.
Scott Tharp, AAYTE Executive Director, said numerous local and state governmental officials are expected to participate, including Mayor Street, State Rep. Dwight Evans. City Councilman Michael Nutter, City Recreation Commissioner Victor Richard and representatives of the School District of Philadelphia.
In addition to the Parade of Playgrounds, with each of the 63 facilities displaying banners they designed and made during the summer session, there will be the presentation of awards for tennis accomplishments (the Mayor’s Trophy for NJTL City Team Champions and the Stern Cup for individual championships), awards for winners of the Arthur Ashe National Essay Contest, and the awarding of over $12,000 in academic scholarships to six of the program’s participants.
Among the participating sites are the Water Tower Recreation Center in Chestnut Hill, the Allens Lane and Pleasant playgrounds in Mt. Airy, and the Awbury and Simons recreation centers in Germantown.
While 1,000 will be able to attend the ceremony, some 5,000 youngsters in total took part in the NJTL program, ranging in age from 7 to 17.
“Many of the boys and girls in the NJTL program never held a tennis racquet before seven weeks ago,” Tharp said. “In addition to learning tennis, AAYTE makes sure that each child receives foundational life skills lessons dealing with six specific areas of development: communications skills, healthy habits/hygiene, organization/study skills, appreciating diversity, goal setting and service to others.”
AAYTE will be opening a new $11-million facility, being built with private and public funds, at Ridge Ave. and Kelly Drive in East Falls in Spring 2006. The new Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Center will have 16 courts, offices, classrooms, a computer-learning center, a state-of-the-art fitness room and a new Arthur Ashe Reading is Fundamental library. The short-term goal is to significantly increase the more than 8,200 children who currently participate in year-round AAYTE programs.
