For Ben Marks, tennis has always been a family affair. Growing up in England, tennis was a part of his life ever since he can remember. Both of his parents were tennis players, and many days were spent with them either at their local tennis club, or at home hitting balls against the side of…
Culture is a word that’s thrown around a lot when talking about the success of sports teams. For years, we have heard about the winning culture of the New England Patriots in the National Football League, or the gritty, hustle culture of the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association. And while it is a…
One coach called him “The Champion”. Another coach referred to him as the future Valedictorian. His grandfather referred to him as a “Renaissance Man”. Hundreds of kids called him their best friend. To Lynne, Landon, Reese and me, he was just “E”. To say that Ethan made a positive impact on this world and everyone…
Ever since Drew Hassenbein was introduced to sports at the age of four, winning was of the utmost importance to him. Second place was not an option, and everything was a competition. Drew was an all-around athlete and played every major sport, but tennis was always his passion. At eight-years-old, Drew was introduced to his coach…
Long Island Tennis Magazine (LITM) and USTA Eastern, in conjunction with the New York State Parent Teacher Association teamed up to bring free tennis fun to kids and adults alike as the Annual Family Park Day was held at SPORTIME Hempstead Lake. The event featured engaging tennis instruction and gameplay on the court, but also…
In the summer, people from across Long Island and New York City flock to the Hamptons, to enjoy the sun, while sitting by the pool or ocean, and taking part in an array of outdoor activities. One of those activities, and perhaps its most popular, is tennis. It may be the favorite activity for…
Last weekend, the Pickleball Easter Classic kicked off our 2023 Pickleball Event Series. We held this event at Bethpage Park Tennis Center with two sold-out divisions, one for Women’s 3.5 Doubles and one for Men’s 4.0 Doubles. Teams competed against one another in round-robin play with the results of those matches determining who advanced…
Last year, the Vihrova family packed their bags and left their native Latvia to move to the United States. The eldest of the family’s two daughters, Elina, had accepted a scholarship ingymnastics to Penn State University, and the Vihrova’s followed her to the States so the family could remain close. That meant finding a…
When John McEnroe and Claude Okin created the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) at Sportime Randall’s Island in 2010, and later at locations on Long Island and in Westchester, their commitment to each other was to create a diverse and inclusive tennis learning community where talented and hard-working young athletes from New York could…
Earlier this year, the Long Island tennis community got its latest addition as 40 Love Lifestyle opened its doors in Manhasset, a unique store that would not only serve as a place to shop for your latest racquet sport needs, but also with the desire to bring together local players. “40 Love Lifestyle was…