BRONX, N.Y., June 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On June 26, 2025, the ProtoStar Foundation will host the Matt Stevenson Junior Tennis Tournament (NY), its 3rd Annual Kickoff Event and Dinner Program for its upcoming Level 5 USTA-sanctioned competition: 14u & 18u Singles (June 27-29, 2026); 12u & 16u Singles (July 4-6, 2026); all age groups Doubles/Mixed Doubles (July 11-13, 2026). The Tournament will be held at the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning in Bronx, NY.
The Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Jordan D. Metzl, a prominent figure in the fields of sports medicine, orthopedics, fitness, and active longevity. He is known for promoting physical activity for preventive health and its positive effects on mental health. “The benefits of sports for young athletes start on the playing field and extend across their lifespan. Active kids become active teens who become active adults and grandparents,” said Dr. Metzl. “Increased levels of activity are associated with almost every type of improved life and health metric. Sports is more than just a game; it is a dedication to a healthier life.”
Dr. Metzl is a sports medicine doctor with the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and founder of the IronStrength Community Program, a nonprofit program that provides free fitness classes to thousands of people, regardless of fitness level, age, or background. Its mission is to “create a free, high-energy fitness experience rooted in medicine, science, and community.” Its motto: “Movement is Medicine.”
This year’s mental health theme for the Tournament is: Kindness and Compassion. “We help our junior competitors realize that even in a competitive environment such as a tennis tournament, it is important to be kind to your opponent, your doubles partner, and most of all yourself,” said Gary P. Poon, the Tournament Founder and Organizer. “Kindness and Compassion will serve you well in life. Kindness comes from something you feel inside you – and that is Compassion. Kindness is what you do; compassion is what you feel.”
In his 2025 video message for the Tournament’s Kickoff Event, Dr. Brian Hainline, the Immediate Past President of the United States Tennis Association, said: “If you have the right environment—a supportive environment—you can thrive.” Since its inception in 2019, the Matt Stevenson Tournament has endeavored to provide a supportive environment. The Tournament stands for such values as: Kindness, Respect, Honesty, Integrity, Fairness, and Sportsmanship. “These values are displayed on our banner throughout the three weekends of the Tournament,” added Poon.
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) and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Sport Psychology materials 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), HSS’s IronStrength Community Program, 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, gpoon@protostargroup.com
Website: https://protostargroup.com/portfolio/matt-stevenson-junior-tennis-tournament/
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SOURCE ProtoStar Foundation
