The NJTL Essay Contest is a widely acclaimed educational tool. NJTL participants are asked to write essays answering a thought-provoking question requiring research and analysis. Over 2500 entries are received each year and 10 national winners (one boy and one girl from each age group) receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City to participate in Arthur Ashe Kids' Day at the US Open and to accept their awards at the NJTL Essay Awards Luncheon. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we are always amazed at the thoughtfulness of each and every student.
Age Groups for girls and boys are: 10&Under, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and 17-18.
The question for the essay is, "What is the most important lesson you have learned thus far through NJTL (playing tennis with RCTA), and how does that lesson help you in your life as a student, a tennis player, and an individual?"
A NC essay winner in each age/gender category will win a free trip with a chaperone to attend the Winston Salem Open ATP World Tour 250 Event at the Wake Forest Tennis Center. TEN WINNERS from across the country, will take a chaperone with them on an all-expenses paid trip to New York City for the US Open.
Download the essay entry form and a lined sheet for your player's handwritten essay here. Essays may also be submitted typed on a 8.5x11 inch paper.
2018 USTA Foundation Essay Application
2018 USTA Foundation Essay Lined Sheet for hand writing essay
DEADLINE: Monday June 25 to email entry to RCTennisAssociaiton@gmail.com
or by mail to RCTA, PO Box 201, Madison, NC 27025
RC Tennis is a registered chapter of the National Junior Tennis & Learning Network (NJTL) sponsored by the USTA Foundation. Through more than 500 youth development non-profit organizations locations, the NJTL network provides free or low-cost tennis and education to more than 225,000 under-resourced youth.
NJTL was founded by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder in 1969. Their vision was to use tennis as a way to gain and hold the attention of young people in hopes they could teach them about matters more important than sport.
ACE is an out-of-school academic curriculum that connects the Common Core State education standards to the sport of tennis. Activities encourage academic achievement, health and wellness and social and emotional skills. When combined with a tennis program,it provides children with important developmental assets. For sample lessons from the ACE Curriculum click here.
Read more about the USTA Foundation and NJTL at
2018 NJTL Summer Network in Rockingham County
RC Tennis has received funding from the USTA Foundation and the Southern Tennis Foundation to expand our NJTL summer network connecting tennis and education with seven summer camp partners in summer 2018:
- Eden Family Y Summer Fun Camp (Tuesday morning)
- Reidsville YMCA Camp Soar (Friday morning)
- Boys & Girls Club of Eden Summer Camp (Thursday morning)
- Parkview Village Summer Enrichment Camp (Tuesday morning)
- Eden Parks & Rec Summer Camp at Bridge Street Recreation Center (Thursday morning)
- Community Baptist Schools (Tuesday morning)
- Bee Penn Moore Salvation Army Community Center (Wednesday afternoon)
Campers will play tennis once each week at group clinics led by RC Tennis Coaches and interns and engage in Academic Creative Engagement curriculum acitivities (ACE) led by summer camp staff. Additional summer NJTL network events may include a Net Generation Red Ball Challenge, tennis field trip to Greensboro Tennis Academy at Spencer Love Tennis Center in Greensboro, and the opportunity to attend NJTL Day and watch professional tournament matches at the 2018 Winston-Salem Open.
We are excited to announce our 2018 RCTA NJTL Network interns:
Gabrielle Hollifield from Morehead High School
Anna Luking and Jacob Schraufnagel from Rockingham County High School
Tristan Hollifield from McMichael High School
Bryson Chapmon, Daniel Crowder, Neil Chudasma, Trinity Galloway, Shaheed Harrison, and Neshon Taylor from Reidsville High School
Kaitlyn Marquardt from Rockingham County Middle School
Ayden Smith and Dylan Smith from Western Rockingham Middle School
Jaden Buist, Rockingham County Home School
Are you interested in becoming a NJTL Network intern? Read more and submit an interest form here.
2017 NJTL Day at the Winston-Salem Open
2017 NJTL Summer Network in Rockingham County
In 2017, RC Tennis has received a $7500 USTA Foundation grant to connect tennis and education with five summer camp partners in Rockingham County:
Each day camp held weekly group tennis clinics on the court and off-court ACE curriculum. Campers enjoyed orgnanized play days, travel to Greensboro to meet young players and coaches at Greensboro Tennis Program and to take part in NJTL Day at the Winston Salem Open. Each camper received a free youth or adult racket to take home at the end of the summer.
Ten RC Tennis Interns, high school and middle school students, assisting summer camp staff and RC Tennis coaches on and off the court during the summer. They attended a Coach Youth Tennis Workshop with Andrew Waldrop on May 19 and June 5.