Racquets and Reading

Staying mentally active over the summer is just as important as staying physically active. Studies have shown that students who read over the summer do better at school when they return in the fall.

SCTEF Racquets and Reading is a summer enrichment program developed by SCTEF that reinforces the New York State Summer Reading Program.

SCTEF Racquets and Reading for SCJTL players:

Registered SCJTL Summer League tennis players can earn recognition by reading, writing, drawing, and visiting their library. The program is flexible, allowing children and teens to select from a variety of reading, academic, and artistic activities. The program is available to all SCJTL participants, who track their reading progress throughout the season.

Click here for the Racquets and Reading Summer 2003 inaugural newsletter

SCTEF Racquets & Reading recommends to following programs:

New York State Library's Statewide Summer Reading Program

 

SCTEF Racquets & Reading supports participation in the NJTL Essay Contest.

The NJTL Essay Contest is open for NJTL participants.
You could win a trip to New York City!

The 22nd Annual USTA Foundation NJTL Essay Contest launched on January 2, 2020. NJTL youth who wish to participate must contact their local NJTL chapter for more information and to enter.

The NJTL Essay Contest is a widely acclaimed educational tool. NJTL participants are asked to write essays answering a thought-provoking question requiring research and analysis.  Thousands of entries are received each year and 10 national winners (one boy and one girl from each age group) receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City to participate in Arthur Ashe Kids' Day at the US Open and to accept their awards at the NJTL Essay Awards Luncheon. Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day is a day-long festival of kids’ tennis activities that includes interactive games, musical entertainment and free clinics. It will be a weekend to remember!

The question for the 2020 essay contest is, "Everyone measures success differently. How do you strive for success in terms of your character development, education, or tennis?" 

NJTL stands for National Junior Tennis and Learning and is a network that features more than 250 nonprofit youth development organizations that offer free or low-cost tennis and education programming to over 160,000 under-resourced youth each year.

NJTL youth who wish to participate must contact their local NJTL chapter for more information and to enter.

Click here to visit the NJTL Essay Contest web site.