Thursday afternoon, May 23, Newton South High School will once again host the Garden City Cup, an annual exhibition match involving all the tennis teams at Newton North and Newton South. (Rain date: May 24)
2024 marks the 22nd anniversary of the first Garden City Cup. The Cup is a collaborative effort involving the high schools’ athletic departments, Newton’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Culture, and the Friends of Newton Tennis.
The event honors the memory of Linda Zuker, Newton South’s former assistant tennis coach, who succumbed in 2000 to a rare disease. The Linda F. Zuker Memorial Youth Foundation supports youth athletics in the region and helps fund Tenacity, an organization that promotes tennis in the inner city.
The format this year will be mixed doubles matches on both the junior varsity and varsity level. The program starts at 4 PM with boys and girls JV. Around 5:15 PM we will hold a brief ceremony commemorating the occasion and honoring the achievements of the high school teams. Afterwards, varsity boys and girls begin their matches. About 80 players in total will compete in the Cup, all in the spirit of good fun.
This tradition does more than bring the high schools together in a friendly competition. It also keeps alive the memory of our beloved friend and former coach, Linda Zuker.
Bob Jampol
Friends of Newton Tennis
