Each year, the USTA Foundation sponsors an essay contest for youngsters ages 10-18 involved in NJTL programming nationwide. In 2022, entrants were asked to describe how tennis best reflects confidence, character, sportsmanship, and teamwork. For her winning essay among 10-year-olds, SoCal’s Jayara White and her father were awarded a trip to New York City as VIP guests and received a special award at a luncheon held in their honor.
In her essay, Jayara details some of the experiences as part of the Pete Brown Junior Tennis program. “All of my experiences with my NJTL chapter have been interesting, exciting, and unexpected opportunities,” she wrote, “like meeting Naomi Osaka!”
White also discussed the benefits of tennis in her everyday life. “Since I started playing tennis,” she said, “I have become more athletic and more outgoing, and I have more people around to motivate me to do more.”
White heard about the essay contest from her grandmother, the person who fostered her love for tennis by introducing her to the Pete Brown program, an NJTL in Los Angeles that offers after-school and weekend tennis programs. In fact, the youngster’s story in tennis is heavily influenced by her grandmother. Aside from attending the local tennis program at her grandmother’s suggestion, White also has her sights set on one day attending her grandmother’s alma mater, USC. “I want to at least get to college with (tennis),” she said of her long-term aspirations in college tennis.
White and her father made the most of their New York trip, seeing sights such as the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, as well as having the opportunity to play tennis in the Big Apple. “What made me want to enter (the contest) was the opportunity to go to New York,” explained White. “To meet other people and to get to play tennis in New York!”
While she has only been playing for around two years, White’s passion is on display in her eagerness to write about her tennis journey and how much she loves the sport, and her story is a great example of the ability of NJTL programs like Pete Brown to empower young players who fall in love with tennis.
As White neatly summarizes in her essay, “Tennis can open doors and give me great advantages in life”—a true statement for any junior player in Southern California.