Sept. 8, 2004
Lending a Hand for Les Halles
GW Joins Brasserie Les Halles, Comcast and Legg Mason
for Local Youth Tennis Tournament
By Thomas
Kohout
The George Washington University joined with Comcast Television, the Legg
Mason Tennis Classic and DC Council member Harold Brazil in support of
the second annual Les Halles Cup junior tennis tournament for Washington,
DC, boys and girls ages 14 and under. The tournament, sponsored by Brasserie
Les Halles, ran concurrently with the Legg Mason Tennis Classic at the
William H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center in Northwest Washington, DC.
This years contest featured a rematch of last years finals
between the citys top two junior male players Eric Chavous and Alvin
Fludd. Chavous, son of DC Council member Kevin Chavous, defeated Fludd
63, 62, to repeat as District champion. The girls bracket
finished with a grueling three-hour, three-set match between Janae Sydnor
and Tamika Mitchell. Mitchell won the match 16, 60, 75.
I started this event because it was something I would have wanted
to do when I was a child, said Phillippe Lajunie, owner of Les Halles
and founder of the event. Lajunie added that like his own experiences,
many of the children in the tournament have limited athletic opportunities
growing up in the city. You can play team sports like basketball,
but there arent many options if you prefer to do something more
individual. Tennis is a sport that is an education for life in society,
through discipline, control, tactics, strategy and fair play. The competition
gives the kids exposure to a professional-styled event, with seedings
and a bracket draw and its played on the clay courts at the William
H.G. Fitzgerald Tennis Center.
The objective of the Les Halles Cup is to generate interest and excitement
for tennis in youth through their participation in an official international
tournament. Les Halles sponsors qualifying events in Miami, Washington,
DC, and New York City, with each tournament running in conjunction with
a professional tennis tournament in Miami during the Nasdaq
100 Open, in New York City during the US Open and during the Legg Mason
here in Washington. The winners of the qualifiers receive free trips to
compete in the finals, held in Miami during the Orange Bowl in December.
The winners from that event will earn a trip to France to attend the French
Open.
The University became involved prior to last years inaugural event.
According to Michael Akin, government relations assistant in the Office
of Government, International and Corporate Affairs, GW helped navigate
the bureaucratic waters to keep the project on course. The University
continued its partnership with the tournament this year, assisting with
planning and logistics for the event, as well as making things a little
more special by donating Colonials basketball tickets, coffee mugs, Frizbees
and other goodies for the athletes and their families.
GW takes its role in, and of, the city very seriously, said
Akin. Were always looking to be helpful whenever we can, especially
when it involves local kids.
Whenever these kids play a tournament they have to go to the suburbs
in Maryland or Virginia, explained Willis Thomas, Jr., director
of tennis at the Washington Tennis and Education Center, and this years
event coordinator. Often theyre facing players with better
facilities and it can be intimidating. The Les Halles Cup gives them a
chance to compete on a more level playing field.
This is a great opportunity for our young athletes, said Brazil,
who presented proclamations from both Mayor Anthony Williams and the DC
City Council heralding Aug. 13, when brackets for the competition were
announced, as Les Halles Cup Day in Washington, DC. This
tournament is a great way to show off the stellar skills and abilities
of our young players. It also offers these kids an opportunity to meet
their role models at the Legg Mason Tournament.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
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