USTA Hosting Youth Tennis Event

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced it will host a local Net Generation Day event for youth and families from the Tri-State Area to participate in an afternoon of tennis activities. The event is scheduled to be held Saturday, Oct. 7, at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Net Generation is the new youth brand of the USTA, which aims to inspire the next generation of tennis players by embracing all aspects of youth play for kids ages 5 to 18. For the first time, American tennis will have one unified youth brand for children to get into the sport. Net Generation will make it easier for kids and their parents to learn about tennis and get into the game in schools, parks and tennis clubs across the country.

Former tennis pro, Olympian, and Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez will lead on-court activities and highlight the benefits of the sport as the Net Generation Ambassador. Joining her to engage with participants and fans in the amateur skills challenge will be radio personality Laura Stylez of HOT 97. Also expected to make an appearance will be award-winning actor Caleb McLaughlin of Netflix’s original drama “Stranger Things.” He will be on-hand to greet fans and support the USTA’s efforts of making the sport more accessible to local families.

Other Net Generation experiences at the event will include a mini-obstacle course, basic drills stations, hitting nets/backboard stations and video game console stations, to name a few. Participants will also have an opportunity to receive information about where they can find local tennis programs in their communities that offer Net Generation tennis.

“We are absolutely thrilled to bring tennis to the great borough of the Bronx,” said Katrina Adams, Chairman of the Board, CEO and President, USTA. “The Bronx represents an outstanding mix of cultures and ethnicities, and has the largest Hispanic population in the entire city. This event is a great opportunity for our organization to reach youth and families, especially as we recognize and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. What better way to engage with the community than to be a part of it at Cary Leeds' state of the art facility. I am looking forward to this event putting more racquets in the hands of kids who might not otherwise have a chance to experience our sport and bringing families together to play our great game.”

The USTA has a longstanding commitment to encouraging healthy and active lifestyles among children. Over the last decade, youth tennis has brought hundreds of thousands of kids into the sport by using shorter courts, lower-bouncing balls and lighter racquets to allow them to play more quickly and easily.

Net Generation is designed to provide a positive and welcoming environment for all youth players. By focusing on play, building character and championing individual challenges, Net Generation attributes revolve around: Empowerment, Unity and Play. It puts more emphasis on learning through play and building character on and off the court, not just on drills and competition.

Furthermore, Net Generation will activate throughout all competitive levels, including youth tennis, team tennis and junior competition. By setting new standards and collaborating with programs across the board, these efforts will help unite the tennis industry by sharing the same mission: to get more kids playing tennis.

Families are encouraged to register for the event by visiting – https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/eastern/USTAEasternNetGeneration.html

For more information about Net Generation, visit NetGeneration.com.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level -- from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with more than 715,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, one of the highest-attended annual sporting events in the world, and launched the US Open Series, linking seven summer WTA and ATP World Tour tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns approximately 90 Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S. and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. The USTA’s philanthropic entity, the USTA Foundation, provides grants and scholarships in addition to supporting tennis and education programs nationwide to benefit under-resourced youth through the National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network.For more information about the USTA, go to USTA.com or follow the official accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat.