USTA/NTJL Campus Kids' Day Hosted By Women’s Tennis
5/1/2024
In partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Middle States and the National Junior Tennis & Learning of Trenton, the Princeton University women’s tennis team recently held a Campus Kids' Day with the goal of giving back to the community and inspiring the next generation.
“I hope this next generation believes in dreaming big and working extremely hard to make those dreams a reality,” said Head Coach Jamea Jackson. “Seeing is believing and simply being on campus can be the spark a young person needs to embark on their own incredible journey. I hope the exposure these young people experienced today will light a fire that can’t be extinguished.”
The Tigers hosted the event in partnership with Renee Bridges, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the USTA. The 40 attendees came from the NJTL and community tennis programs in the surrounding community.
"A big thank you to Princeton University for graciously hosting several of our USTA Middle States NJTL chapters,” said Bridges. “The opportunity for students to tour the campus, engage in a Q&A with a former college scholar-athlete, and witness the excitement of the Women's Tennis Ivy League Championship match epitomizes the enriching experiences we strive to offer youth through our NJTL network.”
The day started with a tour of the Carl A. Fields Center for Equality + Cultural Understanding and the Princeton athletic facilities. The Carl A. Fields Center is Princeton’s unique cultural center. It strives to empower members of the university community as they seek to learn about self, understand the breadth of cultural and social differences among us, and build the skills needed to create and lead a more just world.
The tour followed a lunch discussion with Princeton University Athletics Manager of Intercollegiate Programming Ieisha Jackson. Jackson spoke with students on her journey as a Black student-athlete and administrator.
“Representation matters,” said Jackson. “Growing up, I didn’t know a career in college athletics was a possibility because I didn’t see or know people who looked like me in those roles. I am grateful to have been given the platform to share my journey as a former student-athlete to now an athletic administrator and help these young people see themselves in me.”
After lunch, the students made their way over to the outdoor tennis courts and saw two nationally-ranked women’s tennis programs face each other with the Ivy League Championship on the line. It was a thrilling battle that went down to the wire that saw No. 44 Princeton outlast No. 38 Harvard, 4-3. The victory for Princeton secured a fifth-straight Ivy title and the conference’s NCAA Tournament automatic qualification spot.
After the success of the day, the Tigers look forward to continuing to partner with the USTA Middle States and the NJTL in hope of uplifting generations into the future.
