USTA Eastern Long Island Region: July/August 2012

August 8, 2012 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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USTA Eastern Long Island Region Profile: Ed Wolfarth
Ed Wolfarth of Syosset, N.Y. received the Hy Zausner Lifetime Achievement in Tennis Award from the USTA Eastern Long Island Region at its Annual Awards Dinner in May. This award is the Long Island Region’s highest honor.

Ed has been one of Long Island’s most dedicated volunteers, both as a member of the USTA Eastern Long Island Region Board, which he currently serves as Grievance Committee Chair, and as a tireless volunteer at events such as the Fire Island Breast Cancer Tennis Fundraiser, 10 & Under clinics and workshops, Long Island Kids Day, Long Island Corporate Challenge, Long Island Corporate Tennis Fundraiser, USPTA workshops, Pro-Am Fundraisers and more.

A former National Junior Handball champion and champion golfer, Ed didn’t take up tennis until the age of 28, but became a ranked senior player from the 35s to, most recently, number one in the 60s. After teaching with Vitas Gerulaitis Sr., Ed became the tennis director at Old Westbury Country Club. He was athletic director at SUNY Old Westbury College, where he instituted and coached their first women’s varsity tennis program. In their third year, the women’s team won the Hudson Valley AC Championship. Ed was tennis director at the Tam O’Shanter Club and was the only coach in Nassau County history to coach high school teams to both the boys and girls championships in the same academic year, with two different schools—Cold Spring High School Girls in the fall of 2004 and Roslyn High School Boys in the spring of 2005. Ed is currently the racket sports specialist at Hofstra University and a professor of physical education and sport sciences at Queens College.



Long Island Region Kids Day approaching

The USTA Eastern Long Island Region Kids Day benefitting the USTA National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Program has been scheduled for Friday, July 13. Long Island juniors are encouraged to don their sneakers (racquets and balls will be supplied) and join the fun at the Malverne High School tennis courts, located at 80 Ocean Avenue in Malverne, N.Y. The event is open to Nassau NJTL Chapters and Community Tennis Associations (CTAs).

The day’s events, which run from 9:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m., will include USTA 10 & Under lessons for newcomers to the sport, games for older players, a pizza lunch, prizes and t-shirts. For more information or to register your NJTL chapter or CTA to attend, please call Terry Fontana at (516) 822-8711 or e-mail ustaonlongisland@gmail.com. There is no charge to attend.

The NJTL network is a nationwide group of more than 600 non-profit youth development organizations that provide free or low-cost tennis, education and life skills programming to more than 250,000 children each year. NJTL develops the character of young people by emphasizing the ideals and life of co-founder Arthur Ashe. While NJTLs vary in size and programming, this growing network shares a commitment to positive youth development, the importance of education and tennis as a lifetime sport.



Competitive Kids Visit West Point

Ten Long Island Competition Training Center (CTC) program members represented the USTA Eastern Long Island Region at the Eastern Section Rally Day at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point: Kaitlyn Byrnes, Trinity Chow, Melissa Cooney, Ariana Fixon-Owoo, Ben Grossman, Eric Li, Madison Li, Daniel Meinster, Sujay Sharma and Sohrob Yavari, along with coaches Steve Abbondondelo and Pat Breen.

The CTC program brings together top juniors, ages 10-14, for competitive training opportunities that motivate and encourage all to develop to their highest competitive level. CTC helps young players develop competitive skills without worrying about rankings. The CTC program, which supplements players’ training schedules and is not intended to replace any aspect of their regular training, each year assists about 2,000 players nationwide. Local training sites this year are Pointset, Robbie Wagner, World Gym, Deer Park Tennis & Fitness and Locust Valley.



Region supports Cancer Society Fundraiser

The USTA Eastern Long Island Region brought its 10 & Under tennis courts, kid-sized equipment and local pros to the Bellmore-Merrick Relay for Life to help support the annual American Cancer Society fundraiser. This event was a fun-filled family evening with lots of activities, music, games, raffles and more. The organization’s largest fundraiser, the Relay for Life event remembers those lost to cancer and celebrates the lives of those who have won their battles or who are currently fighting cancer.



Tennis players come out for Robbie’s Run

The 7th Annual Robbie’s Run was the place to be for 10 & Under tennis players, as the USTA Eastern Long Island Region brought its kid-sized courts, equipment and pros to the 5K road race in Merrick. Robbie’s Run was created in 2005 following the tragic death of nine-year-old Robbie Levine on a Little League field. Thousands of people attended the Run to show their support for the goals of Forever 9-The Robbie Levine Foundation, which are to educate the public about the need for automated external defibrillators (AED) and to ensure that these life-saving devices are available and accessible at every youth sporting event.

Long Island Region pros and local high school tennis team members contributed their time to give lessons to tennis newcomers. Forever 9 has been very supportive of the Long Island Region, hosting AED/CPR training sessions at area clubs and even donating an AED.

 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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