Author: Belen Jordana

United Tennis is strengthening its players’ academics by incorporating a language program in 2025. In this way, any student who is part of United Tennis will have the opportunity to study Spanish, French and/or Chinese. A new initiative that arises thanks to the collaboration with educational entities recognized locally, nationally and internationally. For Spanish classes, United Tennis reached an agreement with the Complutense University of Madrid. For French classes, with the French government program Alliance Française and for Chinese classes, with the Ballantyne Sprout Montessori school. The objective, according to UTO Executive Director Belén Gómez-Jordana,” is to offer our players the opportunity to learn about different cultures and open a world of possibilities to young people” Language classes will begin on February 17 and will be taught online.

United Tennis has created a system of recognitions and awards for those students who do the most hours of the Winward Academic Program to promote education even more among our students. Our winner for the month of November was Katie Yan, a volunteer and student of our tennis program in the Mint Hill – Charlotte area. Katie was the student who did the most productive Winward hours last November 2024, therefore, our first Winward winner.  Congratulations Katie!

Thanks to the USTA Foundation support, United Tennis players and volunteers will be able to access their own Winward academic program account to study and practice the subject matters they want such as math, science, reading, and grammar among others.  The students will be able to also practice for the SAT and ACT exams.  Winward Academy is a program dedicated to students between 7th and 12th grade that help students to reduce the academic gap and improve their literacy in different topics.

During the 48th Hall of Fame Ceremony of the North Carolina Tennis Foundation, United Tennis received the award for the Best NJTL of the year 2024 in North Carolina. Along with the recognition, United Tennis received a two thousand dollars check that “United Tennis will use to strengthen the educational part of the organization”, said its Executive Director Belén Gómez-Jordana. United Tennis was chosen by the members of the NJTL committee of the NC Tennis Foundation who voted unanimously, as members of the organization indicated.

In this way, United Tennis ended a very productive year in implementing several pilot tennis programs and obtaining great accomplishments such as the 5 de Mayo Festival with the Gastonia Police Department, the expansion of United Tennis to the Mint Hill – Charlotte area and the purchase of a van to benefit UTO students. According to Belén Gómez-Jordana, “this award has been the icing on the cake to a year 2024 that has taught us to know how to take advantage of every opportunity that is offered to you.”

United Tennis would like to thank deeply the NC Tennis Foundation for choosing United Tennis as a recipient of this recognition.

United Tennis Organization wants to thank each student, each parent, each volunteer, each donor, each community supporter, each staff member, and most of all to God for letting us to make an impact in our community during this year! We are really grateful to everyone that has contributed to our work with time, effort, and resources! We wish you that this Holidays are full of joy, peace, and love! Let the New Year 2025 be filled of wonderful things for you and your dear ones! From the bottom of our hearts have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Belén Gómez-Jordana, Executive Director UTO

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EXP Realty North Carolina is committed to the Latino community in the state. Hence, they are sponsors of the Cinco de Mayo Festival in Gastonia. Their contribution has made it possible for this festival to take place once again. United Tennis is very grateful, since for the first time, the Cinco de Mayo Festival in Gastonia will be a fundraising event for our student programs! Thank you EXP Realty for helping us to fulfill our dream!

La Antigua Guatemala is the first Guatemalan restaurant in Gastonia. It is located at 2525 S York Rd, Gastonia, NC 28052. It was recently opened for business. In La Antigua Guatemala, you can taste a wide range of typical Guatemalan and international food prepared with fresh and quality products. The flavors satisfy every paladar of their local and foreign clients. Guatemalan cuisine traditionally includes corn, tortillas, beans, rice, and meats such as pork, chicken, and beef. While there is no official national dish of Guatemala, one of their most representative dishes is Pollo en Pepián; a chicken stew that fuses Spanish and Mayan flavors cooked in a spicy sauce with pumpkin and sesame seeds. A dish that you can taste at La Antigua Guatemala Restaurant.
From United Tennis we want to thank you for your support by being one of the sponsors of the Cinco de Mayo Festival in Gastonia. Thank you La Antigua Guatemala for helping us to achieve our goals!