Empowering Youth Today & Tomorrow
The Future Is Now
Building Champions in Life
Since its founding in 1972, the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP) has served more than 25,000 youth between the ages of 5 and 18 in Central Harlem on a “first come” basis, fulfilling its mission to build champions in life through tennis, education, and wellness programs.
• 95%+ graduate from high school
HJTEP is headquartered at the Harlem Armory Center which currently provides four indoor courts for after-school Saturday, serving 800 youth annually.
HJTEP offers summer camp programs to 150-300 youth at
athletes are engaged and remain with the program for an average of seven years, and several alumni as coaches, demonstrating the lasting impact of youth development and community
HJTEP programs teach beginners to play the sport of tennis and offer a pathway to earning college scholarships. In court instruction, HJTEP’s Learning Resource Center (LRC) offers academic assessments to provide HJTEP priate academic support. HJTEP athletes maintain a 3.1 GPA on average and receive homework help, private tutoring, SAT/ACT prep, and College/Career counseling. The statistics for HJTEP studentathletes are impressive:
• 80%+ attend leading colleges and universities
• 65% receive non-athletic financial aid to attend college
• 25% earn tennis scholarships to continue to play and attend college
• $1.1M in academic scholarships and financial aid was awarded to HJTEP students in 2023
In addition to academic and athletic support, the cornerstone of HJTEP’s wellness program is Tennis Against Obesity (TAO), which helps students, parents, and schools recognize and combat obesity by offering fitness and nutrition guidance. Guided meditation and mindfulness sessions complement the wellness program, mental wellness and physical fitness. HJTEP empowers students to grow into wellrounded individuals ready to succeed in all aspects of life through a holistic approach personal development and character building
Expanding The Footprint For The Future
Following HJTEP’s 50th anniversary, the Board of Directors developed a strategic plan for the future and collectively committed to increasing HJTEP’s to the greater Harlem community.
In consultation with architects, engineers, and tennis experts with experience in land use and development, HJTEP has endorsed a plan to build its own permanent facility, including eight outdoor and
eight indoor courts and a building with classrooms, locker rooms, a cafeteria, community space, and administrative offices. The estimated cost of this project is $50 million.
With 500+ youth on the waitlist, HJTEP will triple its capacity with the new HJTEP Community Tennis Center to serve 2,500 youth annually and, for the first time, offer adult programs.
HJTEP’s facility will be the only public indoor tennis facility in Manhattan, which is long overdue. With no
