ProtoStar Foundation Hosts 2nd Annual Kickoff Event ForLevel 5 Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Tournament (NY)

BRONX, N.Y., June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 27, 2025, the ProtoStar Foundation will host its 2^nd Annual Kickoff Event and Dinner Program for the upcoming Level 5 Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Tournament (NY). The Tournament, sanctioned by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), will be held at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Bronx, NY, on the following dates: 14u & 18u Singles (June 28-30); 12u & 16u Singles (July 5-7); all age groups Doubles/Mixed Doubles (July 12-14).

UTSA Board Member and Immediate Past President, Dr. Brian Hainline, will deliver a video message welcoming the junior players and their parents, guardians, and coaches. The Keynote Speaker will be Tim Buwick, a noted Motivational Speaker, followed by various experts on the interrelationship between physical health and mental health.

This year's theme for the Tournament is: Gratitude. "While life may present us with many different challenges, it is important to remember what we are grateful for," said Gary P. Poon, the Tournament Founder and Organizer. "Psychologists have found that gratitude could help improve one's mental health. We impress upon our junior competitors that expressing gratitude often – either verbally or keeping a daily gratitude journal – could help them enjoy tennis more and even improve their performance on the tennis court."

"The USTA has made a pledge that we would do everything in our power to elevate the importance of mental health for all players, which goes right along with our mission of growing tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere," added Dr. Hainline. "I would like to personally thank the Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Tournament for drawing further awareness to the importance of prioritizing mental health and joining us in these efforts."

The Kickoff Event and Dinner is free for every registered player and one accompanying adult. Additional guests: $20 (over 12); $10 (12-and-under). 

Promoting The Power of Mental Health®

Growing in popularity each year, the Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Tournament brings awareness about mental health issues to the junior level. As in previous years, the Tournament seeks to address the Youth Mental Health Crisis by distributing age-appropriate information about depression, anxiety, and suicide prevention provided by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and materials available from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Sport Psychology materials, including an interactive Mental Skills Workbook, are also included to show the interrelationship between mental performance on the tennis court and mental health off the court. The mission is to help adolescents understand the many aspects of mental health, including what it means to be mentally healthy and how to take care of their mental health. We call it The Power of Mental Health®. Please view a short video of the Tournament's mental health mission.

About Matt Stevenson

The inspiration behind the Tournament came from the late Matt Stevenson, a young, generous, and passionate tennis professional who ran successful junior tennis programs in the Washington, D.C. area. Before tragically taking his own life in 2017 at the age of 32, he had written extensively about his own mental health issues and had asked that kids be made aware of the importance of mental health and to seek help if needed. This Tournament aims to turn a tragedy into something positive.

All proceeds from the Tournament will benefit the Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Fund, which supports junior tennis programs and promising junior players needing financial aid. A portion of the net proceeds will be donated to AFSP, Cary Leeds's junior tennis programs, the Center for Healing & Justice Through Sport (CHJS), and the Junior Tennis Foundation, a NY-based nonprofit organization that supports tennis programs for underserved youth and people with disabilities.

About ProtoStar Foundation

The sponsor and organizer of the Tournament is the ProtoStar Foundation, a California nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization based in San Diego. It is part of the ProtoStar Group, a set of pioneering companies that find resourceful ways to fund, develop, or incubate innovative projects and organizations that have a unique, compelling, and impactful social mission.

Media Contact:

Gary P. Poon, (202) 360-1160, [email protected] 
Website: https://protostargroup.com/portfolio/matt-stevenson-junior-tennis-tournament/

SOURCE ProtoStar Foundation