JTCC (Junior Tennis Champions Center)

JTCC is home to the University of Maryland (UMD) women’s varsity tennis team, and it was jam-packed with more than 100 spectators wearing black to “Black Out” the bubble on March 2 when the Lady Terps took on Liberty University. Fans cheered outstanding National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I tennis and were delighted at the outcome when Maryland cruised to a 4-0 shutout victory in front of the energetic crowd.

Leaving behind her family and hometown of Yonkers, NY, Stefanie Smart-Abbey, at 13-years-old joined JTCC’s Full-Time High Performance program in late 2022 to pursue her dream to be the best player she could be. Smart-Abbey’s father, a seasoned tennis coach from Ghana, taught his 10-year-old daughter how to play tennis. She began making her mark at a young age in local tournaments by holding her own and competing in older age groups despite having only two years of tennis experience.

With more than 60 enthusiastic children and adults engaged in interactive tennis drills, the JTCC Winter Tennis Festival held on the indoor courts on February 3 was a smashing success to kicking off the first of four free festivals held throughout the year. During the two-hour free event led by JTCC coaches and assisted by volunteers from the University of Maryland Men’s Club Lacrosse team, the players also participated in team-building activities to improve balance and coordination and enjoyed complimentary snacks.

The dreams of seven hard-working student-athletes have been fulfilled with their commitments to play college tennis at prestigious institutions in the fall. A signing day ceremony was held at JTCC on Thursday, January 11, with players, family members, and media in attendance.

The past and present collided during winter break at JTCC when several alumni returned from college to train together with current High Performance players. The holiday training sessions featured thrilling rallies, powerful serves, and a joyful camaraderie that showcased the success of the JTCC pathway.

The tennis journey of JTCC MedStar athlete Madeleine-Camille Preuninger was transformed overnight when she was the surprise recipient of a free custom-fit sports wheelchair six months ago. The Hartford, a leading provider of disability insurance that has dedicated itself for the past 30 years to making adaptive sports and equipment more accessible, awarded the wheelchair to Preuninger making an indelible impact on the tennis enthusiast who began playing at JTCC in 2021.

More than 100 players, staff, and spectators packed the JTCC lobby on November 17 for the Arthur Ashe Legacy Foundation at UCLA’s panel discussion celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ashe’s first visit to South Africa. In 1973, Ashe became the first Black professional tennis player to compete in South Africa’s National Championships.

JTCC High Performance Coach Priyana Kalita’s story is one of resilience and determination. Born in the bustling streets of Guwahati, the capital city of Assam, India, Kalita grew up amidst continual unrest due to fighting over the India/Bangladesh border 150 miles from her home.

Thirty-two of the top wheelchair tennis players in the nation competed earlier this month in the USTA L4 JTCC Wheelchair Tennis Championships presented by MedStar NRH. The largest wheelchair tournament in program history with 32 competitors, the event featured 16 JTCC/MedStar players, including 13-year-old Spencer Davis, 38-year-old Bryce Doody, and 48-year-old Michael Flores, who were all crowned champions in their respective brackets.

For JTCC High Performance players Kase and Erik Schinnerer, their dominance on the court shouldn’t be a surprise. Born into a family of athletes, with their mother Lessia, a former professional tennis player, and their father Dan, a four-year letter winner at Yale University, the Schinnerer brothers have quickly forged an identity of their own at JTCC.

JTCC High Performance player Stiles Brockett started training at JTCC in 2020 with a goal “to become the best player he could be”. Three years later, Brockett not only is one of the country’s best junior players and Boys 16 National champion, but he recently verbally committed to join one of the best collegiate programs in the country at the University of Virginia.

With 27 enthusiastic JTCC supporters cheering wildly at courtside, it was a day of many “firsts” for Bob Bryan and Team USA as they defeated Croatia 2-1 in the opening match of the 2023 Davis Cup Finals Group Stage in Split, Croatia.