Endorsed Players/High Performance Juniors

• US Open Junior Awards Gala

Eastern Designated Closed Championship Circuit

The Eastern Designated Closed Championship tournaments are held throughout the year and are scheduled over two consecutive weekends.

To play in one of these tournaments a player must be a legal resident of the USTA Eastern Section (a legal resident is a player whose principal domicile lies within the boundaries of USTA Eastern, Inc. See regulations for more info). He/she may be required to show proof of principal domicile by providing USTA Eastern with documentation of legal guardianship, appropriate schooling, and verification of age.

Playing in the closed championship circuit can lead to 2 exciting ventures:

• Eligibility f or US Open Eastern Junior Awards Gala:

  The top three point winners in each age division at the end of the series of Designated Closed (January 5-June 17) will be the guests of USTA Eastern for a day at the US Open in Flushing, NY. Prizes will be awarded to the 24 winners. Players earn points at each tournament according to the following table:

  Tournament winner	100 pts.
  Runner-up	75 pts.
  3rd place	60 pts.
  4th place	50 pts.
  5th place	40 pts.
  6th place	30 pts.
  Quarterfinalists (2)	20 pts.

  The 2009 point winners are as follows:

  Boys’ 12s:  1. Robert Levine (Bedford, NY) 2. Michael Chen (Holmdel, NJ) 3. Paul Hayes (Middletown, NY) 14s: 1. Vihar Shah (New Hyde Park, NY) 2. Matthew Nardella (Manlius, NY) 3. Ryoma Haraguchi (New York, NY) 16s: 1. Richard Del Nunzio (Forest Hills, NY)  2. Bert Vancura (New Hyde Park, NY) 3. Andrew Adams (Bronx, NY) 3. Winston Lin (Williamsville, NY) 18s: 1. Joseph Schafer (Orchard Park, NY) 2. Michael Lampa (Ocean, NJ) 3. Gary Kushnirovich (Brooklyn, NY)

  Girls’ 12s:  1. Jessica Golovin (New York, NY) 2. Isabella Pascucci (Oyster Bay, NY) 3. Elizabeth Tsvetkov (Brooklyn, NY) 14s: 1. Quinn Gleason (Mendon, NY) 2. Katrine Steffensen (Scarsdale, NY) 3. Arielle Griffin (Jamaica, NY) 16s: 1. Leighann Sahagun (Queens Village, NY)  2. Katherine Yau (Manhasset, NY)  3. Jamie Loeb (Ossining, NY) 18s: 1. Stefania Balasa (East Brunswick, NJ) 2. Julia Elbaba (Oyster Bay, NY)  3. Robin Anderson (Matawan, NJ)

• BG18 Meet the Challenge: One girl and one boy in the BG18 and under division will be awarded a wildcard in the Qualifying draw of the GHI Challenger in Bronx, NY and the USTA Men’s Tennis Challenger, in Binghamton, NY, respectively. The wildcards will be given to the top point winner, one boy and one girl, at the end of the series of +L1 Designated Closed Tournaments. The players earn points at each tournament according to the point table above.

• 2009 National Junior Championships Schedule
• Wildcard Application for 2009 National Championships

• Competitive Training Centers - The concept behind the USTA Competitive Training Centers involves bringing together the very best players to compete and train. CTC's offer low cost, high level training to these best players. These centers are designed as supplemental training for players ages 10-13. View Eastern's Competive Training Centers. For more information from the USTA on junior and collegiate competition  (CTC’s, coaching commission, and collegiate tennis), please click here.

• Coaches Commission - The mission statement of the Eastern Coaches Commission is: "To create the best training and competitive environment as it relates to younger players (8-12 years old)." The Coaches Commission is made up of the following members: Perry Aitchison, Lawrence Kleger, Whitney Kraft, Bob Ingersole, Mark Savage, Peter Green, Tom Clear, Marvin Dent, Danny Casesa, Jack Curry, Jeff Rothstein, Steve Diamond and Ron Dyson. The USTA Eastern Coaches Commission sponsors workshops for boys and girls 10 & under. The USTA Eastern Section sponsors the Zone Team Training Camp. Last year, this camp took place June 15 -16th at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. At this camp, players train, drill, receive uniforms, and attend seminars with valuable information. The BG 16s and 18s attend a college seminar while the BG 12s and 14s attend a seminar that educates them on the pathway to prepare for Zonal and National competition.

• Star Search - Star Search is a program designed to identify talented young athletes who would otherwise not come to tennis. The program focuses on future athletes in grades 2 and 3 (age 6-8). Bob Ingersole and the USTA Eastern Section Player Development Department has developed a Star Search Starter Kit for sites to start their own program. The kit contains all the tools you need to get a Star Search program running in your area. The outcome of the program is to introduce new, young athletes to the sport of tennis, develop tournament players, assist facilities and the USTA in developing a larger database of players to track, assist in promoting the QuickStart program and the ultimate goal is to develop the next US Open American Champion.

  For more information about the program and to get one started in your area please contact Julie Bliss at bliss@eastern.usta.com.

• Tournament Pathway Resources - Find out more information from the USTA in the following areas of Player Development: High Performance , Sport Science , Coaching Education . Find out more information on the tournament pathway: ITF Junior Circuit , Men’s Professional Tennis , Women’s Professional Tennis .