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The Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB) would like to wish our players, parents, and friends all the very best for a wonderful holiday season! We hope you enjoy this special time of the year! | |
16th Annual "Little Mo" Internationals
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
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Congratulations to the winners of the 16th Annual "Little Mo" Internationals tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida! This prestigious event was held at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center and several other tournament sites from Friday, December 2 - Wednesday, December 7, 2022. Approximately 600 players from over 60 different countries and territories worldwide were featured in this international event (Qualifying/Main Draw), which includes Argentina, Aruba, Australia, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Slovakia, South Africa, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and 27 states across the USA! With so many talented players from across the world, it was a fantastic week filled with new friendships, great sportsmanship, and competitive tennis.
Thank you so much for your continued support of the “Little Mo” and a special thank you to our tournament sites, volunteers, and proud sponsors: Jersey Mike’s Subs (Title Sponsor), Tennis Competitors of Dallas (TCD), Wilson Sporting Goods (“Official Ball and Racquet”), and Lucky in Love Kids (“Official Apparel”).
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16th Annual "Little Mo" Internationals in Florida
Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
December 2-7, 2022
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Singles Winners
Girls 15/16 (“Big Mo”): Mariya Dobreva - Laval, Canada
Girls 14 (“Big Mo”): Kanon Sawashiro - Saitama, Japan
Girls 13 (“Big Mo”): Londyn McCord - Dunwoody, Georgia
Girls 12: Evelyn Blanchette - Salem, Massachusetts
Girls 11: Amina Nurmakhan - New York, New York / Kazakhstan
Girls 10 (yellow ball): Kareena Cross - Los Angeles, California
Girls 10 (green dot): Nina H. Chabli - Miami Beach, Florida
Girls 9 (yellow ball): Inie Toli - San Jose, California / Tonga
Girls 9 (green dot): Isabella Talamo - Hollywood, Florida / Venezuela
Girls 8 (yellow ball): Anastasia Vikulova - Sunny Isles Beach, Florida / Russia
Girls 8 (green dot): Mathilde Hartvigsen Dianati - København, Denmark
Boys 15/16 (“Big Mo”): Michael Shalom - West Palm Beach, Florida
Boys 14 (“Big Mo”): Bernardo Tedesco - Balneário Camboriú, Brazil
Boys 13 (“Big Mo”): Robert McAdoo - Lawrenceville, Georgia / Georgia
Boys 12: Rafael Pawar - Essex Fells, New Jersey
Boys 11: Anthony Kirchner - New Providence, Pennsylvania
Boys 10 (yellow ball): Philip Hartvigsen Dianati - Charlottenlund, Denmark
Boys 10 (green dot): Daniel Levine - Wellington, Florida
Boys 9 (yellow ball): Lennox Kelly - Kiels Mountain, Australia
Boys 9 (green dot): Marco Bryan - Richmond Hill, Canada
Boys 8 (yellow ball): Aleksander Denisov - Sunny Isles Beach, Florida
Boys 8 (green dot): Fabrizio Cottone - Miami, Florida
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Doubles Winners
Doubles - Girls 15/16 (“Big Mo”): Mariya Dobreva - Laval, Canada ||| Sarah Barkey - Lakewood Ranch, Florida
Doubles - Girls 14 (“Big Mo”): Ao Tamanaha - Nago, Japan ||| Sara Okue - Miyazaki, Japan
Doubles - Girls 13 (“Big Mo”): Mila Jovanovski - Erlenbach Am Main, Germany ||| Sylvie Yao - Tenafly, New Jersey
Doubles - Girls 12: Chloé Sama - Québec City, Canada ||| Romy Gravenor - Montreal, Canada
Doubles - Girls 11: Stephanie Pumar - Medley, Florida ||| Gabriella Rosenberg - Bay Harbor Islands, Florida
Doubles - Girls 10 (yellow ball): Kareena Cross - Los Angeles, California ||| Melissa Stojanovic-Vasquez - Tustin, California / Canada
Doubles - Girls 10 (green dot): Piper Binkley - Orlando, Florida ||| Nina H. Chabli - Miami Beach, Florida
Doubles - Girls 9 (yellow ball): Daniella Yogumyan - Queens, New York ||| Inie Toli - San Jose, California / Tonga
Doubles - Girls 9 (green dot): Gabriela Yusti - Palmira, Colombia ||| Mia Zhou - Aurora, Canada
Doubles - Girls 8 (yellow ball): Alexa Ginzburg - Pompano Beach, Florida ||| Adiva Rosenberg - Surfside, Florida
Doubles - Girls 8 (green dot): Maria Skhodnova - Deerfield Beach, Florida / Cyprus ||| Ekaterina Skhodnova - Deerfield Beach, Florida / Cyprus
Doubles - Boys 15/16 (“Big Mo”): Khai Rees - Fort Lauderdale, Florida / The Bahamas ||| Ricardo Espaillat - Parkland, Florida
Doubles - Boys 14 (“Big Mo”): Mathias Gretillat - Quebec City, Canada ||| Emryk Crête - Sherbrooke, Canada
Doubles - Boys 13 (“Big Mo”): Robert McAdoo - Lawrenceville, Georgia / Georgia ||| Mikaeel Alibaig - Boca Raton, Florida / Pakistan
Doubles - Boys 12: Jaime Gomez Lopez - Zapopan, Mexico ||| Rafael Pawar - Essex Fells, New Jersey
Doubles - Boys 11: Anthony Kirchner - New Providence, Pennsylvania ||| Ryan Allen - North Palm Beach, Florida
Doubles - Boys 10 (yellow ball): Selwyn Olufemi-Owoeye - Grayson, Georgia ||| Philip Hartvigsen Dianati - Charlottenlund, Denmark
Doubles - Boys 10 (green dot): Kingston Rees - West Palm Beach, Florida / The Bahamas ||| Daniel Levine - Wellington, Florida
Doubles - Boys 9 (yellow ball): David Llovera - Mexico City, Mexico ||| Lennox Kelly - Kiels Mountain, Australia
Doubles - Boys 9 (green dot): Marco Bryan - Richmond Hill, Canada ||| Evan Yu - Brampton, Canada
Doubles - Boys 8 (yellow ball): Daniel Marinov - Mississauga, Canada ||| Temo McAdoo - Lawrenceville, Georgia / Georgia
Doubles - Boys 8 (green dot): Fabrizio Cottone - Miami, Florida ||| Walker Amey - Boca Raton, Florida / Canada
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Mixed Doubles Winners
Mixed Doubles - 16 (“Big Mo”): Émile Coveney - Boisbriand, Canada ||| Mariya Dobreva - Laval, Canada
Mixed Doubles - 15 (“Big Mo”): Sachchit Balamurugan - Little Elm, Texas / India ||| Alexia Campagna - Repentigny, Canada
Mixed Doubles - 14 (“Big Mo”): Everest Kim - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina ||| Ao Tamanaha - Nago, Japan
Mixed Doubles - 13 (“Big Mo”): Mikaeel Alibaig - Boca Raton, Florida / Pakistan ||| Aurora Lugo - San Juan, Puerto Rico
Mixed Doubles - 12: Jaime Gomez Lopez - Zapopan, Mexico ||| Montserrat Temprana - Mérida, Mexico
Mixed Doubles - 11: Anthony Kirchner - New Providence, Pennsylvania ||| Gabriella Rosenberg - Bay Harbor Islands, Florida
Mixed Doubles - 10 (yellow ball): Philip Hartvigsen Dianati - Charlottenlund, Denmark ||| Kareena Cross - Los Angeles, California
Mixed Doubles - 10 (green dot): Daniel Levine - Wellington, Florida ||| Piper Binkley - Orlando, Florida
Mixed Doubles - 9 (yellow ball): Lennox Kelly - Kiels Mountain, Australia ||| Inie Toli - San Jose, California / Tonga
Mixed Doubles - 9 (green dot): Carl Emil H. Petersen - Nærum, Denmark ||| Isabella Talamo - Hollywood, Florida / Venezuela
Mixed Doubles - 8 (yellow ball): Dylan Kivov - Potomac, Maryland ||| Adiva Rosenberg - Surfside, Florida
Mixed Doubles - 8 (green dot): Fabrizio Cottone - Miami, Florida ||| Mathilde Hartvigsen Dianati - København, Denmark
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Sportsmanship Award Recipients
Mia Zhou - Aurora, Canada
Daniel Cofre Sotomayor - Villa Alemana, Chile
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Kindness Award Recipients
Veronika Matulskaya - Brooklyn, New York
Kean De Jager - Pretoria, South Africa
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Venus Williams made a special appearance at the "Little Mo" Internationals in Florida! Check out this cool video! | |
The festivities began on Friday, December 2 at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center with Henri Elkins performing his world-renowned “Bijou” Tennis Show (comedy performance and tennis tricks). There was a fun complimentary tennis clinic to follow for all players hosted by Wayne Bryan, Bob Bryan, and the PBGTC pros.
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The spectacular Opening Ceremony began with the players parading onto the stadium court carrying their country flags. The national anthem was sung by Micaela Bryan and the Mayor of the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Chelsea Reed, welcomed the players and parents. The Founder and CEO of Jersey Mike's Subs, Peter Cancro, was in attendance with his wife and he gave a compelling speech as the Title Sponsor of the "Little Mo" tournaments. Bob Bryan of the famous Bryan Brothers doubles team was the Guest Speaker. Considered by many to be the greatest doubles team of all time, Bob and Mike Bryan have shared a remarkable career together and achieved almost everything our sport has to offer: a record 16 Grand Slam men's doubles titles (2 French Open titles, 3 Wimbledon titles, 5 US Open titles, 6 Australian Open titles), 118 career titles, an Olympic gold medal together (London 2012), and an unprecedented 438 weeks in total as the #1 doubles team in the world. Cindy Brinker Simmons, MCB President and daughter of Maureen Connolly Brinker, also gave an inspirational message. Following the ceremony, a special Group Photo was taken by YourGameFace. | |
Bob Bryan plays the piano for his daughter Micaela Bryan during the National Anthem (left photo). Peter Cancro, Founder and CEO of Jersey Mike's Subs, speaks to the players and parents (right photo). | |
Cindy Brinker Simmons, MCB President and daughter of Maureen Connolly Brinker, (left photo) and Chelsea Reed, Mayor of the City of Palm Beach Gardens, (right photo) speak at the Opening Ceremony. | |
Bob Bryan was the Guest Speaker and his father Wayne Bryan interviewed him during the Opening Ceremony! | |
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Matches began on Saturday, December 3 and continued through Wednesday, December 7. The winner of each age division was crowned a “Little Mo” Internationals champion! For all draws and results, please visit: www.littlemoflorida.com.
On Saturday evening, a fun player party was held for all of our families at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center. There were many exciting activities for the players including a slip n’ slide, bubble machine, face painting, “Mo Money” machine, pizza, popcorn, cotton candy, snow cones, inflatables, a DJ playing music, and dancing games in addition to a Silent Auction featuring autographed memorabilia. We hope everyone enjoyed this special occasion as it was a great opportunity to meet other players from around the world!
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In honor of Maureen Connolly’s Grand Slam win, MCB created the ultimate challenge in 2013 for any "Little Mo" player to win the "Little Mo" Slam. If a "Little Mo" player can win their yellow ball division at all three Internationals in the same year (California, New York, Florida), they will receive the tallest trophy ever presented in junior tennis (6 feet tall) and the title of "Little Mo" Slam Champion! The Slam continued this year with the 1st leg at the Racquet Club of Irvine in Irvine, California (July 1-6). The 2nd leg was held at the historic West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York (August 21-25). The 3rd and final leg was held at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (December 2-7). There have been nine players who have won the “Little Mo” Slam in the past nine years. Who will it be next year?
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Kareena Cross from Los Angeles, California became the ninth player to win the "Little Mo" Slam. She took home the tallest trophy in junior tennis (6 feet tall) - congratulations Kareena! | |
On behalf of MCB, we would like to thank our proud sponsors, the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center, PGA National Resort & Spa, Jupiter Bay Tennis Club, Marshall and Vera Lea Rinker Athletic Campus, The Benjamin High School, Avenir Tennis Center, their staff(s) for hosting our event, Wendy Tatum (PBGTC Director of Tennis and Pickleball), Andi Mohl (PBGTC Operations Manager-Tennis), Rick Workman (Tournament Director), Tracy Morgan (Referee) and the officials, Dave “The Koz” Kozlowski (Media Celebrity), Peter Cancro, Bob Bryan, Wayne Bryan, Henri Elkins, Mayor Chelsea Reed, Micaela Bryan, and all of the volunteers who have helped to make this such a great event each year. We appreciate their hard work and dedication to junior tennis!
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*All photos above are credited to YourGameFace. For more information, please click here to visit their website: www.yourgameface.com.
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2023 "Little Mo" Tournament Schedule! | |
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We hope you will join us for all of the fun and festivities again next year! The 26th Annual "Road to the Little Mo Nationals" will begin in the spring with the four Regionals (North, South, East, West) held in different cities across the United States. The Regionals are open to any player who lives in the United States and its territories (ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12). The three “Little Mo” Internationals will be held in California, New York, and Florida. The Internationals are open to any player worldwide (ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12). The “Big Mo” divisions have also been added in California and Florida for ages 13, 14, 15, and 16.
Sites and dates for our 2023 tournament schedule including the "Road to the Little Mo Nationals" and "Little Mo" Internationals will be posted at the end of January on our MCB website (www.mcbtennis.org) under the "Tournaments" tab. We will most likely be following a very similar schedule compared to this past year, which is still included on our website.
Thank you so much again for your support of the "Little Mo" as it is truly a "one of a kind" tournament for young tennis players. Approximately 3,000 youngsters worldwide compete in the "Little Mo" annually and we hope to see even more youngsters play this wonderful "sport for a lifetime" next year!
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Looking for a Special Present to put under the Christmas Tree? | |
*Hint: The "Little Mo" Internationals in California would be a great surprise gift! | |
The 1st leg of the 2023 "Little Mo" Slam begins in California! We hope you and your family will plan on joining us next year around the end of June for our first international event of the year. It will be a memorable vacation for the entire family with many sights to see: Disneyland, Sea World, Universal Studios, Legoland, Hollywood, San Diego Zoo, and the beautiful California beaches are a short drive away. Stay tuned for more information in our January newsletter on registration for the 2023 "Little Mo" Internationals in California!
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A Thank You from the Foundation! | |
Thank you so much for your support of MCB and the "Little Mo" this year. It is the mission of the Foundation to continue organizing quality tennis events for young players to not only develop their game and enjoy tennis, but to also promote good values, character, sportsmanship, and kindness.
In your year-end giving, MCB would be most appreciative if you would remember the Foundation so we can continue to offer special events to young tennis players worldwide. Please mail any donations to the address listed below. All donations are tax-deductible as the Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization. We thank you for your consideration and wish you all the best for a wonderful and healthy New Year!
MCB Tennis Foundation
6310 Lemmon Avenue, Suite 275
Dallas, Texas 75209
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Stay tuned for more fun and exciting activities from the "Little Mo" Club! For more information on future giveaways and contests, please check the Instagram page: @littlemoclub! Also, be sure to fill out your player's profile so you can participate in all of the fun activities and giveaways (for active members with a full profile only). Don't forget to add your picture so your friends can recognize you!
If you have any questions about the "Little Mo" Club or how to activate your account, please send an email to: info@littlemoclub.com. Thanks so much and see you soon!
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Would you like to be a Sponsor of the "Little Mo" Tournaments? | |
We are actively looking for sponsors for the 2023 "Little Mo" tournaments. If you are interested or you know someone who works for a company that would be interested in being a sponsor of our "Road to the Little Mo Nationals" circuit and/or the three "Little Mo" Internationals (California, New York, Florida), please send an email to: carol@mcbtennis.org. We will be happy to send a customized PowerPoint sponsorship proposal, which would include branding opportunities such as placing banners at various sites across the country, advertising in the player
program and booklet, having your logo on the t-shirts, and promoting your
product(s) to our players and parents. We are also always trying to improve the
"Little Mo" events, so please let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions.
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Do you have any Creative Ideas for the "Little Mo" Tournaments? | | |
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We are always trying to improve the “Little Mo” tournaments and create a fun and memorable experience for our players and their families. If you have a creative idea or suggestion for the "Little Mo" tournaments, please send an email to: carol@mcbtennis.org. | |
If you were a "Little Mo" player and you have recently signed with a college tennis team or are currently playing college tennis, please email: carol@mcbtennis.org to be featured in our next newsletter.
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A Special Thank You To Our Sponsors: | |
The "Little Mo" tournaments are hosted by MCB in memory of its tennis champion namesake, Maureen "Little Mo" Connolly Brinker. Born in San Diego, Maureen became the first woman to achieve the Grand Slam of tennis in 1953 by winning all four major championships (Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US Open) in the same year. She was well known for her powerful groundstrokes from the baseline, which earned her the famous nickname "Little Mo" - a comparison to the explosive firepower of the battleship USS Missouri, also known as "Big Mo". Only five players in the history of tennis have won the calendar Grand Slam, and Maureen is still the only American woman and the youngest at age 18 to have accomplished this magnificent feat. She sailed through nine consecutive championship titles (three US, three Wimbledon, two French titles, one Australian) and she was unbeaten in 50 matches.
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Unfortunately, her spectacular career would be short-lived due to a horseback riding accident in 1954. While she could no longer compete at an elite level, Maureen's legacy as a legendary tennis star would continue through the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB). Founded in 1968 with her dear friend Nancy Jeffett, MCB's mission would be the promotion and support of junior tennis development worldwide. That same year, she was inducted into the prestigious International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Sadly, Maureen lost her valiant battle with cancer the following year and passed away at the young age of 34. Although her tennis career spanned three years, many premier sportswriters consider Maureen Connolly to be the finest of all female players for her achievements on and off the court. In 2019, she was even honored by the United States Postal Service with her very own "Little Mo" Commemorative Forever Stamp. | |
Today, MCB continues to support the growth of junior tennis by organizing numerous "Little Mo" tournaments throughout the United States annually for talented boys and girls (ages 8-16). These events are designed to provide outstanding competition at the regional, national, and international level while also encouraging players to develop new friendships, learn good sportsmanship, and most of all, have fun. The "Little Mo" tournaments are also unique in that young players have the opportunity to gauge their ability against others born in the same year from around the world (i.e., 8's play 8's, 9's play 9's). MCB strives to empower young athletes by giving travel grants, "Mo" Coins for prizes, and also Sportsmanship and Kindness awards to deserving individuals in honor of Maureen's legacy. The Foundation also contributes financially to many notable programs including the National Junior Tennis League for inner-city youth and Invest In A Child for deaf and wheelchair tennis. | |
Over the years, many well-known collegiate players and famous tennis professionals have participated in the "Little Mo" tournaments including Andy Roddick, Taylor Fritz, Sebastian Korda, Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez, Dominic Thiem, Belinda Bencic, Jenson Brooksby, Madison Keys, Brandon Nakashima, Vasek Pospisil, Borna Coric, Coco Gauff, Mackie McDonald, Ryan Harrison, Taylor Townsend, Donald Young, Steve Johnson, Sofia Kenin, Denis Kudla, CiCi Bellis, and Ana Konjuh among many others. Roddick won the "Little Mo" in 1992 (age 10) and he said, "the 'Little Mo' was my first big win!" Gauff won the "Little Mo" in 2012 (age 8) and she said, "the 'Little Mo' is where the belief began." This is all wonderful news for junior tennis and we are so proud that the "Little Mo" continues to be one of the most popular events for young players around the world. | |
MCB has promoted the development of junior tennis for over 54 years and continues to benefit countless numbers of young players worldwide. Thank you so much for your support of the "Little Mo" tournaments and the legacy of Maureen Connolly Brinker. It is our mission to provide players with a special and meaningful experience at all of our events. We would very much appreciate your help in spreading the word about the "Little Mo" so we can continue to impact future generations of young players. The MCB Tennis Foundation is led by its directors: Cindy Brinker Simmons (President), Brenda Brinker Bottum (Vice President), and Elizabeth Jeffett (Vice President). Carol Weyman (Executive Vice President) and Matthew Cody (Tournament Operations Manager) coordinate the "Little Mo" tournaments. For more information about the "Little Mo", please visit our website at: www.mcbtennis.org and click on "Tournaments". Thousands of players worldwide compete in the "Little Mo" tournaments and we hope to see even more youngsters play this wonderful "sport of a lifetime" this year. Play "Mo" Tennis!
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We hope you will find some time to enjoy the 1978 "Little Mo" movie (made for TV) about Maureen Connolly. The movie is about 2.5 hours long and features some major movie stars like Mark Harmon, Leslie Nielsen, and Glynnis O'Connor. It is a wonderful movie for the entire family and is very inspirational for young players who love the game of tennis. Thank you so much for sharing the "Little Mo" story with your child as it will help make their "Little Mo" experience more meaningful.
Please click on the popcorn icon to watch the "Little Mo" movie!
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