The Johnny Mac Tennis Project is pleased to announce that on October 3rd, our Community Program returned to SPORTIME Randall’s Island after a 2 year hiatus due to the global pandemic. Our Community Program is at the core of our mission as we strive to put more rackets in the hands of under-resourced children in the NYC area, and at JMTP we have been working hard to bring classes from schools in our neighboring communities back to the courts.
“Seeing a child light up when they pick up a racket for the first time is exactly why we do what we do,” said Ryann Cutillo, Executive Director of the Johnny Mac Tennis Project. “This year, we are welcoming more than 1,000 students per week from 18 schools from the South Bronx and East Harlem.”
Our Community Program runs from October through May with the same classes coming weekly so that students can truly learn the sport. “It is incredible to see how much a child can improve throughout the program,” said Ofir Solomon, Director of Community Programs.
Since 2012, JMTP and Sportime have provided over 15,000 hours of free group tennis instruction, valued at more than $1 million, plus free tennis lessons for community children participating in the Randall’s Island Park Alliance summer camp. JMTP has impacted over 10,000 students to date, including awarding more than 460 individual scholarships valued at more than $8.6 million. Many of JMTP’s scholarship recipients have received admission to some of the country’s best colleges and universities, through fully funded tennis scholarships. Furthermore, to date, JMTP has also supported a future NCAA women’s singles champion and a Junior Wimbledon boys champion, one of whom is currently on tour with world rankings in the top 200.
To learn more about our Community Program, or to get involved, contact us today!
