Jada Robinson (left) with Betz Addie’s Lifelong Friend Claudine Malone (right)
We are late getting to this, but Jennifer Nguyen of The Tennis Center at College Park recently sent us this bit of good news of local interest: Jada Robinson, 12, of Reisterstown, MD, has been awarded the first Pauline Betz Addie Scholarship. Robinson is No. 18 in the USTA 12 & Under national rankings and maintains a 4.0 grade point average. The announcement was made by the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, MD where Robinson trains.
The Pauline Betz Addie Scholarship provides Robinson with up to four hours of intense tennis training plus one hour of fitness training weekdays at JTCC, a USTA Regional Training Center. The scholarship is renewable annually provided that Robinson continues to maintain her high levels of achievement both on the tennis court and academically.
In addition to her national ranking, Robinson is currently ranked No. 1 in the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section in the 12-and-Under age division and No. 6 in the Mid-Atlantic Section in the 14-and-Under age division. In May 2011, Robinson won the National Open in Owings Mills, MD and in July reached the quarterfinals of the USTA Regional Tournament Segment in New Haven, CT.
To qualify for the scholarship, applicants were required to reside in the Washington, DC metropolitan area; attain a top 50 ranking in the 12-and-Under or 14-and- Under age divisions in the USTA Mid-Atlantic Section; maintain a 3.5 grade point average; demonstrate a skill to earn a college tennis scholarship; and submit an essay on Betz Addie’s life and accomplishments.
“I’m confident that Jada’s work ethic will earn her a college scholarship,” said JTCC Chief Executive Officer Ray Benton. “In 2011, JTCC graduates earned scholarships valued at $1.6 million to top schools including Duke, Vanderbilt, University of Virginia, Texas A&M and UCLA. With this scholarship, she will receive the same training as those graduates and be well on her way to playing top level intercollegiate tennis.”
The Pauline Betz Addie scholarship recognizes highly motivated young girls who aspire to play intercollegiate tennis and share Betz Addie’s love for the sport of tennis, a passion to achieve in all aspects of life, and exhibit a commitment to pursuing excellence. In its inaugural year, the scholarship received numerous applications from aspiring juniors with impressive academic records and on-court achievements.
The selection committee for the Pauline Betz Addie Scholarship included Betz Addie’s lifelong friend Claudine Malone, Bethesda Country Club Director of Tennis Frank Hatten and JTCC CEO Ray Benton.
“We’re truly excited to award Jada Robinson the first Pauline Betz Addie scholarship,” said Malone. “Jada’s drive to excel on and off the court carries forward Pauline’s commitment to excellence in all of her endeavors.”
About Pauline Betz Addie
Pauline Betz Addie (1919 – 2011) won four US Open and one Wimbledon singles championships. She helped usher in an era of increased popularity for women’s tennis and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1965. Betz Addie was in the finals of the US Championships six consecutive years (1941 – 1946) and won four of those years. In 1946, she was runner-up in the French, won Wimbledon and the US Open, was world no. 1 and was on the cover of Time Magazine as female athlete of the year. Betz Addie founded and ran the Cabin John tennis facility in Potomac, MD, which was renamed the Pauline Betz Addie Tennis Center in 2008. Her interests outside of tennis included bridge and music.
About JTCC
The JTCC, a nonprofit organization, is a world-class training facility located at The Tennis Center at College Park. Located in the Washington DC-metropolitan area and named the first United States Tennis Association Regional Training Center, JTCC ensures holistic growth of all its youth by providing college preparation and mentoring in addition to tennis training. As a National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) chapter and being committed to community service, JTCC has partnered with GEICO and the District of Columbia government to provide underserved youth with free high quality tennis instruction. The most talented and motivated youth from the grassroots program are offered additional training at little to no cost to participating families.
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