In 1969, tennis great Arthur Ashe, collaborating with others, founded the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network. It aims to use tennis as a tool to teach young people how to be successful leaders, collaborative teammates, and productive citizens. In Game, Set, Life, author Albert Stark draws on his experiences as a national-level tennis player and then coach, mentor, and board member of NJTL of Trenton (New Jersey) to share personal stories from some of those most empowered by the organization.
Each story in this history is a testament to how dedication can inspire dreams and unlock potential for every individual. Through the combined efforts of coaches, players, mentors, and volunteers, NJTL of Trenton has built a powerful community that makes a significant impact every day. Perfect for readers interested in sports, education, social justice, education, and the intersection of those, Game, Set, Life offers an example of an incredibly successful community effort: For the past fourteen years, every graduate from the NJTLT program has been admitted to a college or technical school, many with scholarships and grants.
If you want to be both inspired and instructed about how to be a gift to the community, read this book.
With Game, Set, Life as a blueprint, other NJTL chapters may also feel compelled to share their stories—or consider their own greater potential to fully realize the fundamental mission of NJTLT: to enrich the lives of under-resourced youth through innovative tennis, education, and mentoring programs.