JTCC was transformed for an unforgettable evening on April 10 to salute JTCC’s 25th Anniversary honoring alumnus Frances Tiafoe and University of Maryland President Darryll Pines at the GEICO Champions Celebration presented by Amazon and the Bisnow Family. The honorees shared inspiring messages to an energetic crowd of more than 400 JTCC supporters, who raised an impressive $584,000 benefitting JTCC’s GEICO Game On! community programs. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres during the pre-dinner reception while being entertained by impressive match play featuring JTCC Adaptive athletes ..read more

Leaving behind her family and hometown of Yonkers, NY, Stefanie Smart-Abbey, at 12-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. “Competing in the older age groups was challenging because I was still learning how to play tennis. I didn’t kn ..read more

For JTCC alumna Ayana Akli, the decision to return to the University of South Carolina for her final season of college tennis has the Silver Spring native soaring to new heights. Granted a fifth year of college eligibility after her freshman season was curtailed due to COVID-19, Akli proved that her decision to return was the right decision as she attained a career-high #3 in the ITA Division I singles rankings released on February 7. “The ranking is truly just a number. I don’t feel much pressure added to it,” Akli said. “I’m grateful that I get to compete against the top players from every ..read more

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. After the fun concluded on court, smiling participants left with giveaways in ..read more

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. JTCC players will be competing at five NCAA Division I universities and two NCAA Division III colleges. Headlining the signees is Stiles Brockett, who will be joining back-to-back National Champion powerhouse University of Virginia. He is a three-time United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Gold Ball winner. JTC ..read more

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 reunion also sparked attention on social media with a 55-second video of one of the hitting sessions posted on JTCC’s Instagram page generating 36,000 views, more than 196 hours of watch time, and 1,153 likes. The impressive lineup of players included five current NCAA players— Mikeal Carp ..read more

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. In 2008, tensions escalated when a series of bombs in Assam killed 88 people and injured 500. Kalita, then eight-years-old, vividly remembers seeing the smoke from her school and hiding underneath her desk with her frightened classmates. “It was tragic as we did not know what was going on. I remember being in shock. Ki ..read more

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 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. Doody and 38-year-old Harsh Thakkar, also a JTCC player, were the winners in their doubles bracket. Players were split into coed brackets by level of play, with Junio ..read more

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. Fueled by their close bond and “lifelong rivalry,” the brothers’ dedication on the court has paid off. The pair own the distinction of holding the No. 1 ranking in the Middle States Section for their respective age groups and, most impressively ..read more

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. A member of the Full-Time program at JTCC, Brockett is a Blue Chip five-star recruit who has amassed an impressive list of achievements, including three National Gold Balls at the 2021 Winter Boys’ 16s Doubles Championships, the 20 ..read more