BRONX, N.Y., June 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 28, 2024, the Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Tournament (NY) will host a first-of-its-kind Kickoff Event and Dinner Program for its upcoming USTA-sanctioned competition. Because of its popularity, the Tournament has expanded to include both L5 Singles (June 29-July 1 and July 6-8) and L5 Doubles/Mixed Doubles (July 13-15). The Tournament will be held at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Bronx, NY.

The Matt Stevenson Tournament combines top-tier competition with a focus on mental health awareness. The Kickoff Event will begin on June 28 with a free junior tennis clinic for all registered players from 4-5:30 pm, followed by a dinner reception and program featuring various speakers on the importance of mental health both on and off the tennis court, especially for junior players during their adolescent years.

This year's theme for the Tournament is: Community, Connection, Co-opetition. "Although the junior players will be competing against one another in the Tournament, we want them to feel a sense of connection with each other and with the community as a whole," said Gary P. Poon, the Tournament Organizer. "That is part of our Mental Health Mission."

At the 2023 U.S. Open, the President of the USTA, Dr. Brian Hainline, hosted a forum on "Mental Health and Sport: Why It Matters," with Michael Phelps, Naomi Osaka, and Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy. "At the Matt Stevenson Tournament, we would like to show the junior players why mental health matters," added Poon.

The Kickoff Event and Dinner is free for every registered player and one accompanying adult. Additional guests: $20 (over 12); $10 (12-and-under). 

Promoting The Power of Mental Health®

Growing in popularity each year, the Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Tournament brings awareness about mental health issues to the junior level. As in previous years, the Tournament seeks to address the Youth Mental Health Crisis by distributing age-appropriate information about depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention provided by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and materials available from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Sport Psychology materials, including an interactive Sport Psychology Workbook, are also included to show the interrelationship between mental performance on the tennis court and mental health off the court. The mission is to help adolescents understand the many aspects of mental health, including what it means to be mentally healthy and how to take care of their mental health. We call it The Power of Mental Health®. Please view a short video of the Tournament's mental health mission.

About Matt Stevenson

The inspiration behind the Tournament came from the late Matt Stevenson, a young, generous, and passionate tennis professional who ran successful junior tennis programs in the Washington, D.C. area. Before tragically taking his own life in 2017 at the age of 32, he had written extensively about his own mental health issues and had asked that kids be made aware of the importance of mental health and to seek help if needed. This Tournament aims to turn a tragedy into something positive.

All proceeds from the Tournament will benefit the Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Fund, which supports junior tennis programs and promising junior players needing financial aid. A portion of the net proceeds will be donated to AFSP, Cary Leeds's junior tennis programs, and the Junior Tennis Foundation, a NY-based nonprofit organization that supports tennis programs for underserved youth and people with disabilities.

About ProtoStar Foundation

The sponsor and organizer of the Tournament is the ProtoStar Foundation, a California nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in San Diego. It is part of the ProtoStar Group, a set of pioneering companies that find resourceful ways to fund, develop, or incubate innovative projects and organizations that have a unique, compelling, and impactful social mission.

Media Contacts:
Vivien Abraham, vivien.abraham@icloud.com (email & inquiries)
Gary P. Poon, (202) 360-1160 (at Tournament Site)
Website: https://protostargroup.com/portfolio/matt-stevenson-junior-tennis-tournament/

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SOURCE ProtoStar Foundation