Denver, Colo. youth got the experience of a lifetime last week when they participated in a tennis clinic featuring John McEnroe. The former No. 1 was on hand to raise funds for scholarships at Denver Tennis Park. tennis.com/baseline/artic…
John McEnroe helps raise money for Denver Tennis Park, headlines youth tennis clinic
OtherMonday, 23 October 2023 at 01:00
John
McEnroe leads a tennis clinic for children aimed at raising funds for the
Denver Tennis Park in Colorado.
Denver
Tennis Park, an organization dedicated to promoting youth development through
equitable access to tennis, has been making waves since its founding in 2017 as
a result of a successful public-private partnership between the University of
Denver (DU), Denver Public Schools (DPS), and private philanthropy.
Last
Friday, John McEnroe joined the cause in an effort to raise funds for the
organization's scholarship program. The standout 'Raise a Racquet Charity
Bash,' which took place the following day, turned into a memorable event filled
with live music, performed by Johnny Smyth's band from McEnroe.
McEnroe
shared his vision of the importance of tennis as a fundamental tool for youth
development. His commitment to the cause became evident during an auction, which
featured special items, including tickets for the seats he used to occupy as
the former world number 1 at Wimbledon.
Gabriel
Guillaume, executive director of the Denver Tennis Park, spared no praise in
expressing his gratitude for McEnroe's contribution to the organization.
"[His]
passion and dedication to the sport not only inspired our young athletes, but
it also bolstered our mission to create opportunities for Denver's youth
through equitable access to tennis," he said.
The former
tennis player spoke about the opportunities that tennis has given him in life
and commended the organizations that invest in the development of young people
within the sport:
"Tennis
is a great lifetime sport that has given me great opportunities and a lot to be
thankful for," John McEnroe said. "That is why I am so passionate
about my Johnny Mac Tennis project and working to support youth development
organizations like the Denver Tennis Park,” McEnroe said.
The 7-times
Grand Slam champion also spoke about his children and his efforts to protect
them from becoming too complacent, given the wealth he accumulated during his
career and in the years that followed:
"It
can be tricky for kids to grow up with people who are well-known and
successful. My ex-wife won an academy award at 10 and had success, just as my
present wife has," former world No. 1 added.
"We
were lucky enough to afford a nice place in Manhattan, which was always the
dream after I grew up in Queens. It's easy for the kids to get a sense of
complacency. It's always a trick to motivate kids so they feel secure and
loved. I tried to do the best I could, but it's difficult to juggle
sometimes," he added.
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