Building leaders through tennis: meet 2026 community champion
dr. ellen markowitz
Dr. Ellen Markowitz’s connection to tennis spans decades, starting when she picked up a racquet as a toddler and leading to her role as a driving force behind the USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s Girls Rule the Court™ (GRTC) program. Today, she has been named the 2026 Tennis Creates Awards Community Champion for her lifelong commitment to expanding equity, access and social-emotional growth through sports.
Markowitz fell in love with tennis at an early age playing with her parents, later competing at Yale University. Her deep roots in the game laid the foundation for a career dedicated to sports-based youth development.
“Tennis has really been the through line of my life,” Markowitz said. “The older I get, the more tennis is the central part of my life.”
At 36, Markowitz founded PowerPlay NYC, a nonprofit that has served over 28,000 girls by combining athletics with life skills. That experience proved invaluable when she teamed up with USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation to author the GRTC curriculum, blending fundamental Red Ball tennis instruction with social-emotional learning concepts like mindfulness, self-regulation and teamwork.
“Research continued to affirm what we knew to be true, that when girls play, they become leaders,” Markowitz said. “And when girls lead, we all win.”
In addition to writing the playbooks, Markowitz actively coaches GRTC programs in Charlottesville, Va. seeing firsthand how the curriculum builds confidence in young girls. From watching GRTC participants visit Arthur Ashe Stadium during the US Open to helping players hit their first forehands in local gyms, her mission remains centered on empowering youth.
“For every girl who wants to try tennis, let us put a racquet in her hand and help her build the social and emotional learning skills that will help her be a champion in life,” Markowitz said.
Dr. Ellen Markowitz will be officially recognized at the 2026 Tennis Creates Gala on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia. Join us in celebrating Dr. Markowitz and our other award winners by visiting tenniscreatesgala.com to reserve your table.
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USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to promoting tennis and its physical, social, and emotional health benefits. Learn about our impact in the region and how USTA Mid-Atlantic creates community, character, and well-being.