THE CATHY & KEN GREENWALD FUND
The Junior Tennis Foundation's
Cathy & Ken Greenwald Fund
CHANGING LIVES ONE AT A TIME
The Cathy and Ken Greenwald Fund is a donor-supported fund established for the purpose of providing opportunities for junior players in New York City whose family would not otherwise be able to afford top tennis programs.
Cathy and Ken have been privileged to have tennis as a meaningful part of their lives and believe that the sport provides unique opportunities to open many doors to success and well-being, that it promotes self-confidence, builds networks and leads to a healthy lifestyle. Thus, their intention is to help reduce the economic barriers that prevent many talented New York City juniors from fully accessing the training, the competitions and the camaraderie that are available to their wealthier peers.
As the Greenwald's believe education is as critical as sport, an important criterion for considering candidates and programs is that either the chosen program will have a significant academic component or the player will demonstrate strong academic potential. The Junior Tennis Foundation will work closely with eligible programs to help identify deserving candidates.
While the Greenwald's are the principal funders, anyone who believes in its values may donate into the fund to grow it further and allow more student athletes to pursue their tennis dreams.
FEATURED SCHOLARSHIPS
Uyiosa and Osaretin Aghedo
Uyiosa and Osaretin Aghedo have been selected as the 2nd and 3rd recipients of the recently established JTF Cathy and Ken Greenwald Fund Scholarships.
Both girls have been given scholarships to Riverside Clay Tennis Association’s afterschool clinics in the 2024 fall and spring session. In addition both girls have received full scholarships to three weeks of the RCTA’s summer tennis camp, which is a part of the Riverside Park Conservancy’s Multi-Sport Summer Camp.
It should be noted that Uyiosa has also been volunteering to work with special needs athletes at the Junior Tennis Foundation sponsored RCTA’s adaptive tennis program that his held every Monday afternoon at the 96th Street Red Clay tennis courts.
Cathy and Ken Greenwald have been long-time members of the RCTA and Cathy served as president of the association in the early 1990s. It was during her term that the RCTA first decided to hire staff to manage and maintain the public tennis courts.
INAUGURAL SCHOLARSHIP
Mateo Mijalkovski-Merghich
The inaugural recipient of the
Cathy & Ken Greenwald Scholarship.
An outstanding athlete and promising student, Mateo will be training at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, three times a week, once with a private instructor. Mateo was born and raised in Harlem. His mother Meriam is originally from Morocco and his father emigrated from Macedonia. Perhaps as a result of this international heritage, Mateo has a special talent for recognizing world flags.
Mateo was actually selected for a spot at the JMTA two years ago, based purely on his natural athletic abilities at a try-out for non-tennis players. However, his family, not fully understanding the nature of the offer, did not pursue it. Mateo subsequently went through the schools-based programs offered by the non-profit Johnny Mac Tennis Project and quickly moved into their Excellence Program. “It was fate, then” declared Mateo’s father on his second selection into the Academy.
