Center Of Attention

The New York Junior Tennis & Learning’s new facility isn’t just a state-of-the-art venue for players, it’s also a valuable resource for the community

- Jon Levey

It shouldn’t stick out. That was the directive given to Gluck+, the architects commissioned with designing the $26.5 million Cary Leeds Center—the new centerpiece of New York Junior Tennis & Learning. Set amidst Crotona Park, a sprawling 130-acre public space in the South Bronx, the hope was not to bring an overwhelming presence to the urban community. So the twostory, 12,000-foot clubhouse had a level built underground to minimize its footprint, and its two sunken stadium courts were carefully constructed. But the truth is, given the impressiveness of the new facility and the good works of the organization, it’s impossible for the NYJTL to remain under the radar.

The NYJTL has been mentoring youth in both tennis and life since 1971. An offshoot of the National Junior Tennis League, founded by Arthur Ashe and Charlie Pasarell in 1969, the New York chapter was started two years later by Ashe and founder and chairman emeritus Lewis “Skip” Hartman.

While the program has succeeded in producing its share of talented players, Ashe envisioned an impact much broader than cultivating champions. He wanted the organization to serve as a tool to teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade broader life skills, such as teamwork and responsibility. Tennis achievement, academic enrichment and character development serve as the organization’s pillars.