The Advantage All Tennis Foundation, a Roslyn-based nonprofit, has received the 10 and Under Tennis Award from the U.S. Tennis Association Eastern section, recognizing the organization’s efforts to promote youth tennis and expand access to the sport.
The award honors an organization that has done an outstanding job promoting 10 and Under Tennis within the section, according to the USTA.
Founded in 2013 by Roslyn High School varsity tennis coach KerriAnn Jannotte-Hinkley, Advantage All began with free tennis clinics run alongside members of the high school team.
Today, the organization serves children primarily in kindergarten through sixth grade and has 32 junior members from Roslyn High School who volunteer with the program.
In 2023, the Roslyn community lost two high school tennis players, Ethan Falkowitz and Drew Hassenbein, in a car crash. The foundation expanded its mission in their honor.
“In 2023, we suffered a tragic loss of two of our players to a car crash, and so in their name, we had a lot of people coming out wanting to help,” Jannotte-Hinkley said. “We decided to start an organization that would allow us to do a little bit more good work in the community.”
Falkowitz and Hassenbein were killed when a driver traveling the wrong way struck their vehicle as they were returning from celebrating a match win.
Jannotte-Hinkley said the foundation’s mission extends beyond tennis instruction.
“It’s not really about tennis,” she said. “It’s about providing guidance, mentorship and leadership, using tennis as a vehicle.”
The nonprofit is funded entirely through grants and donations. Its programs are free and aim to reach children who might not otherwise have access to the sport, which can be costly.
“For Long Island, we won the 10 and Under Award for outstanding youth programming, and then we were nominated for the larger USTA Eastern award and won that as well,” Jannotte-Hinkley said. “It means we’re providing good programming for children who would not typically have access to the sport.”
High school students play a central role in the foundation’s work, volunteering as mentors and coaches.
“It’s really just a community,” said Jake Klein, a Roslyn High School junior and tennis team member. “The relationships you build — the kids are really special. We help mentor the kids, and they teach you just as much.”
Klein also helped establish a “buddy system” that pairs older students with younger children for weekly meetings that include homework help and recreational activities.
Brian Toh, a Roslyn High School senior who has been involved with the program since middle school, said the community-driven model sets it apart.
“It’s all run by the community,” Toh said. “It connects the high school, the middle school and the younger kids. Everything is tied together really well.”
Toh, who has played tennis for more than a decade, said volunteering has given him a new perspective on the sport.
“It feels good to do something with tennis other than just competing,” he said. “Being able to use it to give back and do more — that’s my favorite part.”
Jannotte-Hinkley said the name “Advantage All” reflects both the sport and the organization’s broader purpose.
“When you think of North Shore districts like Roslyn or Port Washington, you think of advantage,” she said. “But there’s a lot of need here, and it’s sometimes invisible.”
The foundation partners with local community centers that provide free after-school programs and has expanded to other areas, including Westhampton, where it offers similar services.
“We’re just trying to raise awareness that there’s a need here,” Jannotte-Hinkley said. “It’s not about playing college tennis. It’s about opening doors for kids.”
In addition to clinics and mentoring, participants attend the U.S. Open each year, an experience Jannotte-Hinkley said broadens students’ exposure to the sport.
The foundation maintains an active presence on social media and welcomes volunteers and donations as it continues its mission to honor Falkowitz and Hassenbein while serving young athletes across the region.
