BELMONT, MA - Alek Karagozyan has had an unforgettable 2021. Just four years after playing his first junior tournament, the 16-year-old rising junior at Belmont High (MA) reached the finals of the 16 and under New England Junior Sectionals in June. In the spring, he was selected to join the New England Player Council, a group of junior players dedicated to improving junior tennis in New England. Now, Karagozyan is organizing a fundraising tournament to benefit Advantage Kids, New Hampshire’s only National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) chapter, in order to help provide more tennis opportunities for kids throughout the Granite State.
The tournament, called Rally for Tennis, will take place on Sunday, August 15 at Longfellow New Hampshire in Nashua.
Alek tells us about what to expect from the tournament and what inspired him to create it.
How did you first come up with the idea for this fundraiser?
I first heard about Advantage Kids through another junior player, Oziera Ahmad. We both have the same coach, Laury Hammel, and they both told me everything the organization does financially for players and the opportunities they provide. When I was younger, I didn’t know how expensive tennis could be, from training and traveling to all the gear. I realized that there could be so much talent out there with a little less luck or less fortunate of a situation, and I didn’t want that to be the reason someone doesn't have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
What was the reaction from Advantage Kids when you mentioned the idea?
They couldn’t have been happier. Dawn Dragon and Brittany Boles are so kind and sweet and supportive of the cause. They were ecstatic that I was reaching out on my own and impressed with the whole concept. It’s not only helping them out, but it’s a great learning opportunity to be working on a project like this.
Did you have help planning this or have you been doing it on your own?
I’ve had some help from my friends Cole (rising freshman) and Tait Oberg (rising junior), junior players from Weston, MA. They really jumped on board when I asked them, which has been awesome. But besides that, I’ve been trying to create it from the ground up. I built the website on my own, which I only knew a little about, so I had to do some research on it. I contacted all the vendors and did most of the outreach to the players.
