Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day is a summer event you can not miss! The event benefits the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, which was established by world-renowned tennis player, Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder in 1969. Their goal was to develop the characters of our youth through tennis and education.
Since then, the NJTL network has grown tremendously to include over 550 chapters which serve over 220,000 young people annually. The NJTL chapters, which vary in size, can be found in 46 of the top 50 U.S. market, making it one of the USTA’s (United States Tennis Association) largest community-based initiatives. The USTA supports the NJTL chapters through various grants, awards, and learning opportunities. There are several programs that are a part of NJTL, and these include the Tennis and Leadership Camp, the Arthur Ashe Essay and Art Contest, and Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day.
This year, Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day is on August 27th and will be at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the borough of Queens in New York City. There will be free interactive games for kids, and many fun activities like face painting, hair braiding, tennis practice, and autograph signings. There will also be several celebrity guest performances from stars like Jason Derulo, Diggy Simmons, Mindless Behavior, Jacob Latimore, and Jessica Jarrell! Also, there will be other celebrity appearances from Carmelo and LaLa Anthony, Quddus from MTV, and Bradley Cooper. The kids can also expect to see some pro tennis players to practice on the courts! Tennis stars that will be in attendance include Venus and Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, Andy Roddick, and David Wagner!
This is an event you do not want to miss! If you won’t be able to make it, you can tune in to CBS on August 28 for the Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day broadcast!
To learn more about the legacy of Arthur Ashe or about Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day, please visit www.arthurashe.org and www.arthurashekidsday.com!
