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.”
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.
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.
Visit Babolat.com to see the full collection of racquets, bags, shoes, and accessories.