Author: Belen Jordana

For the first time, United Tennis organizes along with the Gastonia Police Department the Cinco de Mayo Festival. An event that will take place on Saturday, May 4, from 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm in Downtown Gastonia. This time, the festival will be a fundraising event that will benefit United Tennis. The raised funds will go to purchase a van for the organization and to create a United Tennis university scholarship fund to support students going to college. United Tennis thanks the support obtained from local companies and businesses that are sponsoring this event. Among some of the sponsors are: Toyota Gastonia, Mazda Gastonia, Restaurante Azteca, XIII Casas, and Web Custom Kitchen.

Along with the inauguration of our tennis program at Mint Hill, United Tennis also began its program at CMS schools in Charlotte. Fifty students from the public school Collinswood Language Academy are participating in this program. Ninety percent of this group has been able to hold a tennis racket in their hands for the first time. The program takes place every Thursday from 4:30pm to 5:30pm in the school gym. “This is a program to teach the basics of tennis to the children and to motivate them to continue practicing this sport,” said the Executive Director of United Tennis, Belén Gómez-Jordana. This program was implemented at this location thanks to Ross Glynn, a member of the Collinswood Language Academy PTA.

United Tennis students will participate once again in the Junior Team Tennis Team Championship organized by USTA North Carolina. This season, the United Tennis 8&U team has eleven registered students. The 14&U team has four students enrolled. The goal of United Tennis is to introduce its students to tennis competition. Junior Team Tennis has a number of registered teams from Gastonia and Charlotte. All teams must play against each other, and the team with the most tennis matches wins goes to the state championship.

For the first time, United Tennis add to its programs an “Abilities Tennis” group at Mint Hill. United Tennis is collaborating with the Abilities Tennis NC Foundation to offer tennis classes at Mint Hill to young people with special abilities. Nowadays, more than 10 young people with autism can play tennis thanks to this program. “Doing physical exercise and working on coordination and motor skills is achieved thanks to the support of a group of volunteers who show their affection for this group of athletes every week,” commented the Program Director at Mint Hill, Marta Gómez-Jordana. The “Abilities Tennis” program has no cost until June 2024, as the program is sponsored by USTA Southern. The program organizers hope that local companies may be interested in sponsoring this valuable program. If you are interested in registering your children to the tennis classes, please go to www.united-tennis.org.

On Saturday, February 24, 2024 the United Tennis Organization new program began in Mint Hill, Charlotte area. Acting Mint Hill Mayor Dale Dalton, Mint Hill Commissioner Twanna Henderson, and Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez McDowell attended the opening event of the program. They played tennis with representatives from United Tennis. Today, United Tennis offers group classes at Mint Hill Veterans Memorial Park on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:30pm to 6:30pm and Saturdays from 9:00am to 10:00am. “As the program grows” said Marta Gómez-Jordana, UTO Program Director in Charlotte, “we will add more groups and classes to the program. The cost of classes is $5 an hour, which makes it a very affordable and accessible program for all families,” she added. If you are interested in registering your children, you can do so on at www.united-tennis.org.

The “Tennis for All” program, which began in Gastonia in 2021, is now expanding to the Mint Hill – Charlotte area.

On February 26, it will begin on the tennis courts at Veterans Memorial Park in Mint Hill after reaching a collaboration with the city. Mint Hill Mayor Brad Simmons approved adding the program and allowing the use of the tennis courts by United Tennis. The goal of United Tennis is allowing access for young people to the sport of tennis; and this is a unique opportunity to continue fulfilling this mission. At Mint Hill, United Tennis will also work with a group of young people with autism, making “Tennis for All” a much more inclusive program. Furthermore, United Tennis has created a collaboration with the Abilities Tennis NC Foundation to train its staff and provide quality service for all its students.

Also, United Tennis will begin teaching tennis classes on February 29 at CMS School, Collinswood Language Academy. With 45 children registered already.  It is the first time that a UTO program has been held in a school. Coach Manuel Rios will be in charge of carrying out the “Tennis for All” program at said school.

NC Tennis Weekend took place on January 26-28, 2024. An event organized by USTA North Carolina, in which the volunteers who make up different committees of the organization could meet and talk about how to work in 2024 to continue promoting and providing tennis to everyone. United Tennis members attended a tennis coaching workshop and meetings of several committees where they serve as volunteers, such as the Inclusion and Diversity Committee and the Schools Committee. The committees are made up of volunteers from across the state of North Carolina. This event is a unique opportunity to meet all of the volunteers and talk one-on-one about the objectives for this new year. In the photo, volunteers from the Inclusion and Diversity Committee and members of United Tennis: Manuel Rios, Delia Escoto, Marta Gomez-Jordana, and Belen Gomez-Jordana.

On February 4, 2024 United Tennis members participated in a free tennis clinic in Belmont, NC; which focused on training young people with some type of special abilities or conditions. The United Tennis coaches, Marta Gomez-Jordana and Belen Gomez-Jordana spent an hour playing tennis with the young participants. An experience that both described as “exceptional.”

“It’s incredible how much everyone enjoys playing tennis. This is an example that tennis is definitely a sport for everyone. Everyone can play it, everyone can have a good time playing it,” said Marta Gomez-Jordana.

In this volunteering activity both coaches were able to learn from other volunteers and coaches, who shared with them advice and experiences when working with athletes with special abilities.

United Tennis will have a free event to announce the two new tennis programs in the Charlotte area.  The event will be held at Veterans Memorial Park, Mint Hill on Saturday, February 24 from 11 am to 1 pm. There will be tennis classes and game stations, where each participating child can win gifts. The acting mayor of Mint Hill, as well as Mint Hill Commissioner Twanna Henderson and Mecklenburg Commissioner Susan Rodriguez McDowell confirmed their attendance at the event. We will also be accompanied by the group of athletes with Autism who will play tennis for the first time. Allan Jensen, USTA Southern Latin Liaison, and staff from Abilities Tennis NC will also be attending to make this a special event for everyone.

Do you want to start this New Year 2024 with new projects and goals? Is playing sports one of them? Why not… TENNIS? If you are interested in trying a new sport or continuing to practice tennis, come to our first event in Charlotte on February. The event will take place at the Veterans Park tennis courts in Mint Hill. After that, we will start having group classes on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and we will also offer private classes. Ages are from 4 years old to adults. If you want more information, want to register or register your children, you can contact us by sending an email to belenjordana@united-tennis.org or calling 501-398-1844.