Little Mo

nately, her career would be short-lived due to a horse-riding accident the following year. While she could no longer compete at an elite level, her legacy as a legendary tennis star would continue through the founding of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB) in 1968. Sadly, “Little Mo” passed away soon thereafter from cancer at the age of 34. To this day, she is still the only American woman to have accomplished this magnificent feat. In 1968, Maureen Connolly Brinker and Nancy Jeffett cofounded MCB with the mission of furthering junior tennis development worldwide and empowering boys and girls to compete and travel to tournaments. The Foundation provides travel grants to aspiring young athletes as well as sportsmanship and kindness awards to deserving individuals in honor of Maureen’s legacy. MCB also organizes approximately 30 tennis tournaments nationwide for junior players (ages 8-16) from around the world. Donations are also presented to other notable programs including the National Junior Tennis League for inner-city youth and Invest In A Child for deaf and wheelchair tennis. The “Little Mo” began in 1976 for Dallas players and later expanded to include all of Texas. The tournaments are unique in that younger players have an opportunity to compete against others who are the same age. In 1998, the “Little Mo” expanded to a national level with the creation of the “Road to the Little Mo Nationals” for boys and girls ages 8-12. The “Road to the Little Mo Nationals” is now in its 25th year as a circuit of regional and national tournaments for U.S. players culminating in a national champion being crowned in each age division. The four semifinalists from the regional events advance to the prestigious “Little Mo” Nationals held at the Austin Tennis Academy. The top 160 players who reach the “Little Mo” Nationals are the brightest future stars in American tennis. Approximately 1,500 players compete annually on the “Road to the Little Mo Nationals”. To see more info (sites/dates) and register for the Regional events, please visit: mcbtennis.org. In 2006, MCB created the “Little Mo” Internationals in order for U.S. players to see various styles of play and meet others from different cultures. These tournaments are open to any player worldwide and are held at some of the most prominent and historic tennis clubs in the United States. If a player can win all three '"Little Mo" Internationals in a single year, they will receive the tallest trophy ever given in junior tennis (6 feet tall) and the title of "Little Mo" Slam champion. The “Big Mo” division for ages 13-16 is held at the “Little Mo” Internationals in California, New York, and Florida. To see more info (sites/dates) and register for the International events, please visit: mcbtennis.org. In 2018, MCB also celebrated its 50th Anniversary of promoting junior tennis development and continues to benefit countless numbers of boys and girls throughout the United States and worldwide. Many well-known collegiate players and famous tennis professionals have participated in the “Little Mo” program over the years including Andy Roddick, Coco Gauff, Dominic Thiem, Leylah Fernandez, Taylor Fritz, Sebastian Korda, Ryan Harrison, Taylor Townsend, Vasek Pospisil, Borna Coric, Madison Keys, Donald Young, Steve Johnson, Sonya Kenin, Denis Kudla, CiCi Bellis, Ana Konjuh, and Belinda Bencic. Roddick won the “Little Mo” in 1992 at 10 years of age and said, “the ‘Little Mo’ was my first big win!” Gauff won the “Little Mo” in 2012 (age 8) and said, “the ‘Little Mo’ was where the belief began.”