The Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, MD is one of 4 USTA/NJTL Excellence Teams funded by USTA Serves and other USTA Departments. This highly competitive program consists of small teams of high-potential, high school players across the country demonstrating the physical promise and mental and psychological determination to become great players and scholar athletes. Some say that Francis Tiafore, who started at age 4, may be the next number 1 player.
It all started in 1999, when Francis Tiafoe’s father was hired to do maintenance at the Tennis Center at College Park where his twin sons, Francis and Franklin, stayed with him at least 5 days a week.
Young Francis would wander off to hit a few tennis balls which turned into thousands of balls. The instructors and coaches at the Tennis Center began to take notice and invited Francis to play and train as part of the Junior Tennis Champions Center programs.
In order to participate in the JTCC Champion’s Program, students must train a minimum of three days a week for two hours on court followed by one hour of fitness. The program also focuses on students achieving academic success and continued participation in the tennis program is contingent upon maintaining good academic standing. To enable students to participate in full-time training schedules, JTCC provides college preparatory education for grades 5-12 at its on-site private preparatory school. Each student is required to attend four hours in the classroom plus one hour of tutoring.
It’s in this setting that Francis Tiafoe has made a name for himself. Today, Francis, at 14, is the nation’s top-ranked boy’s player in his age group and earlier in the year won the boys’ singles title at an international tournament in Bolton, England and a week later won a prestigious tournament in Tarbes, France. He also has endorsements deals with Adidas and Wilson.
Francis has become an outstanding player and student, he is just one of the many youth participating and excelling in our USTA/NJTL Excellence Teams around the country.