From Pro Tennis to Harlem: Katrina Adams on Using Sport to Change Lives | HJTEP

Every kid has talent. The question is whether they ever get the discipline, mentorship, and opportunity to find out how far it can take them. In Episode 9, Dorothy Stuehmke speaks with Katrina Adams, President and Executive Director of the Harlem Junior Tennis and Education Program (HJTEP), about what it truly means to use sport as a launchpad for opportunity - and how her own journey, from a Chicago parks program to the WTA Tour to becoming the first African American President, Chairman, and CEO in USTA history, brought her full circle to building that same opportunity for the next generation. You'll learn: • How HJTEP has grown into a program serving over 1,000 young people in Harlem, using tennis as an entry point to build character, discipline, and lifelong opportunity • What Katrina's path through the WTA Tour and USTA leadership taught her about access, representation, and what's possible when talent meets opportunity • Why mentorship and education matter as much as athletics in shaping a young person's future • How communities, volunteers, and donors can help open doors for the next generation of Harlem's young people 🤝 Support HJTEP through the Do Good on Purpose Giving Circle: https://www.grapevine.org/giving-circ... 📌 Timestamps: 02:03 — Intro and guest welcome 02:49 — Youth development and what kids need to thrive 06:47 — “Family” and community at Harlem Junior Tennis 12:25 — The meaning behind Own the Arena 17:55 — Possibility, role models, and opening doors 21:18 — Tennis as teamwork and communication 24:01 — Harlem Junior Tennis program overview and new initiatives 30:21 — Parent engagement and tournament support 32:06 — Cost of tennis and scholarship support 35:23 — Program impact and outcomes 37:13 — Inclusion and diversifying tennis 42:52 — Giving Circle call-to-action 43:51 — Closing 🔗 Connect with Dorothy Stuehmke: LinkedIn:   / dorothystuehmke   Instagram:   / dorothystuehmke   TikTok:   / dorothystuehmke   💎 Wearing Anne Woodman Jewelry - pieces grounded in craftsmanship and intention. 10% of sales support the Do Good on Purpose Giving Circle: https://annewoodmanjewelry.com/?utm_s... #tennis #HJTEP #Harlem #YouthDevelopment #SocialImpact #NonprofitLeadership #Changemakers #DoGoodOnPurpose #GivingCircle