Central Lincoln County YMCA in Damariscotta has won the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) of New England's 2022 National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Chapter of the Year award.

“Our annual awards are given to individuals and organizations who go out of their way to promote and develop the growth of tennis in New England, and the CLC Y offers tennis to players of all ages, mostly for free, and is extremely involved in the community,” said James Maimonis of the U.S. Tennis Association of New England in a press release.

The USTA’s 2022 annual award winners, five in total, will be honored at a ceremony at Tennis Weekend on Nov. 5 in Framingham, Massachusetts.

Winners were nominated by the New England tennis community and then voted on by the USTA New England Awards Committee.

The Central Lincoln County (CLC) YMCA offers tennis programming for both youth and adults. From free red ball lessons twice a week to free Saturday Stay-and-Play for families to receive nutritional guidance, homework help and tennis, the CLC Y goes above and beyond to serve its community. The organization recently provided backpacks with racquets, balls, and art supplies to 300 students and offered free lessons at recess with a Y pro at their school. The CLC Y works with many of the nearby elementary schools and hopes to expand to all soon. They partner with the local food bank, farms, Tennis Without Borders and NOMI Maine. They also offer therapeutic art as part of all NJTL programming. The CLC Y was named USTA New England’s 2018 Community Tennis Association of the year, and they continue to show why they are a staple in the Maine community.

For more information on the USTA New England Annual Awards, visit New England/Awards (usta.com)