Babolat returns as sponsor of ‘Little Mo’
March 1, 2012
Boulder, Colorado — Babolat, leading manufacturer of tennis racquets, announces its renewed sponsorship of the “Road to the ‘Little Mo’ Nationals.” The only tournament in the U.S. to offer the opportunity for a junior player (11 & under) to become a national champion, the “Little Mo” Nationals creates a rare opportunity for the nation’s top junior players. Babolat has signed on to support the “Little Mo” for another two years.
Named in the memory of tennis champion Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly, the tournament is open to any player from around the United States who is 8-11 years old. It represents a premier challenge for juniors to compete against players from all over the U.S. The “Little Mo” tournament furthers junior tennis development with the goal of players developing new friendships with others from around the United States, providing outstanding competition, learning good sportsmanship and most of all having fun.
“Babolat’s involvement with the ‘Little Mo’ tournament has been a great experience,” says Susan DiBiase, marketing director of Babolat USA. “We believe in the value ‘Little Mo’ brings to junior players and the game of tennis and we feel privileged to continue our partnership with the organization.” “Little Mo” has a special meaning for Babolat’s top U.S. Men’s player, Andy Roddick—he won the “Little Mo” in 1992 when he was just 10 years old. Babolat’s Ryan Harrison also celebrated his first big win at the “Little Mo” tournament in 2000.
“Babolat’s sponsorship has been a natural fit for the ‘Little Mo,’” says Carol Weyman, executive vice president of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation and “Little Mo” Tournament Chairman. “Babolat’s quality equipment, brand prestige and love for tennis aligns perfectly with our values. We feel very fortunate to partner with Babolat to bring tennis to the next generation of champions.”
Babolat has a full range of products for juniors of all levels including junior versions of the Pure Drive Roddick, Andy Roddick’s racquet of choice, and the Aeropro Drive, Rafael Nadal’s weapon. These models feature many of the same exclusive Babolat technologies found in the pro’s racquets to help junior players reach their fullest potential. Babolat also offers the Propulse 3, Andy Roddick’s shoe, in junior sizes.
The 2012 “Little Mo” circuit begins in the spring with 17 sectional tournaments around the country. The top players in each age division advance to regionals in the summer leading up to the prestigious “Little Mo” Nationals that will take place October 19-22 at the Austin Tennis Academy in Austin, Texas.
For more information on the “Little Mo” circuit, visit mcbtennis.org or contact Carol Weyman, Tournament Chairman: (214) 754-7065; [email protected].
ABOUT ‘LITTLE MO’
The “Little Mo” tournament is a program of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation that furthers junior tennis development for boys and girls ages 8-11. The “Little Mo” tournament began in Texas over 30 years ago and due to its popularity, the event expanded to a national level in 1998 with the formation of the Road to the “Little Mo” Nationals—a nationwide, year-long circuit of fun, competitive tournaments culminating in a United States national champion being crowned in each age division. Over 1,500 players participate in the Road to the “Little Mo” Nationals.
ABOUT BABOLAT
Created in 1875, in Lyon, France, Babolat is the oldest international company specialized in tennis. Babolat is today number 1 in tennis racquet sales in the United States, France, Spain, Italy and Japan. Family-run for five generations, Babolat is an expert and innovative brand in the tennis sector providing complete technical equipment for tennis players: racquets, strings, shoes, bags, apparel, accessories and balls. The brand provides strings and racquets for numerous tennis players including Rafael Nadal, Kim Clijsters, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Li Na and Andy Roddick (who also plays with Babolat shoes). Website: babolat.com / Facebook.com/Babolat