USTA MS NJTL Cup and State Leadership Camp

USTA Mississippi held its inaugural NJTL Cup and State Leadership Camp recently, an event that brought together NJTL Chapters from across the state for a day of fellowship, competition, and enrichment activities.

National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) was created in 1969 by Arthur Ashe and others to provide under-resourced youth with opportunities to play the sport of tennis while also learning the importance of character, education, and being good citizens.  Today, the NJTL network features over 250 non-profit local chapters that offer free or low-cost tennis and education programming to over 150,000 youth nationwide.

Mississippi currently has eight NJTL Chapters in cities across the state, all led by passionate volunteers that are looking to give back by teaching the sport to youth and providing educational opportunities.  Mississippi’s chapters are in cities such as Jackson, Columbus, Greenville, Tunica, and others.

Jackson State University and Battlefield Tennis Center hosted Mississippi’s first NJTL Cup, which featured a team tennis competition, a clinic led by teaching pros and college coaches, a Quiz Bowl, and a speech from a Jackson State college recruiter and ambassador.

“USTA Mississippi was thrilled to be able to host the NJTL Cup and State Leadership Camp to be able to bring together all of our chapters for a fun-filled day of tennis and extracurricular activities,” said Jay Pacelli, Director of Community Development for USTA Mississippi who hosted the event. “We have some NJTL Chapters all across the state that are doing great things for our local youth, and today was a great way to celebrate them, their chapter leaders, and the kids that participated.”