Absence oftentimes makes the heart grow fonder. Lily Castka began playing tennis when she was six years old, inspired by her older cousin Abby, who Lily has looked up to as she has grown up . She then joined group programs at Eastern Athletic Club in Blue Point, and her tennis journey began. When she…
Let’s begin with a scene—perhaps drawn from memory, perhaps imagined. A 13-year-old has just lost a match, 6–1, 6–0. He walks off the court smiling, his racket bag slung over his shoulder. His coach stands stone-faced. His parent looks away. The scoreboard told one story. The child’s spirit seemed to tell another. This moment, seemingly…
Last season, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Girls’ Individual Tennis Championships were held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens for the first time in the tournament’s history. It presented a unique opportunity for deserving high school tennis players who qualified, which included the doubles duo…
There is often a lot of discussion between coaches, parents and experts when it comes to junior and high school tennis. Long Island Tennis Magazine brought together junior tennis players themselves to find out how they feel and their thoughts on tennis here on Long Island. The participants… Eric Benderly, Senior, Commack …
I read the other day that it all starts with, “An attitude to train harder, harder and even harder.” It doesn’t. Tennis effort is like driving in the snow. With too little effort we go nowhere; with too much effort we spin our wheels and dig ourselves into a rut. It’s the delicate balance of…
During the COVID-19 pandemic we saw a massive increase in tennis participation. With many places shut down and social distancing becoming a top priority, tennis became the ideal activity. Tiffany Cai, a young girl from Syosset, picked up a racquet for the first time, playing tennis with her family and quickly found a passion for…
Tennis and the piano may seem worlds apart, but the link between the two is stronger than you might think. Over the years, as I’ve coached numerous young tennis champions—including national and international standouts—one surprising trend I’ve noticed is how many of these prodigies played the piano as part of their upbringing. At first, I…
The FILA Easter Bowl returns to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden for the 57th edition of one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious junior tennis tournaments. Nearly every American men’s and women’s Grand Slam champion since the first tournament began in 1968 has competed in the FILA Easter Bowl, a true pipeline to the…
Helping young athletes attend the colleges of their choice, on full tennis scholarships when possible, is a foundational goal of SPORTIME and the John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA). With dozens of JMTA students currently competing at top colleges across the country, today the Academy announced the Ninth Annual John McEnroe Tennis Academy College Recruiting Combine, scheduled for the weekend…
The SPORTIME World Tour continued its trek across the globe in 2025 as SPORTIME Syosset held a Melbourne-themed event in honor of the Australian Open this winter. The event features players from all of the Sportime facilities and has an array of on-court games, as well as plenty to take part in off the court….
