2022 “ROAD TO THE LITTLE MO NATIONALS”
This year marks a very special milestone for MCB - the 25th Anniversary of the "Road to the Little Mo Nationals". We hope you will join us for one or more of the "Little Mo" Regionals on the Road - open to any USA player (ages 8-12)!

The “Little Mo” began in 1976 as a local tournament for Dallas youngsters and later grew to include players from all over Texas. In 1998, it expanded nationwide and became known as the "Road to the Little Mo Nationals", one of the premier series of junior tournaments for boys and girls ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. The Road is now in its 25th year as a yearlong circuit of regional and national tournaments for players who reside in the USA and its territories. It is the only circuit of its kind for talented, high-performance boys and girls in the United States who compete against others born in the same year.

The Road begins in the spring with the four “Little Mo” Regionals (North, South, East, West) held in different cities across the United States. The Regionals are open to any player who lives in the United States and its territories. Yellow (regular) ball divisions will be offered for boys and girls ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 in addition to a green dot option for ages 8, 9, and 10. The top four yellow ball players (semifinalists) in each age division from each regional event will advance to the prestigious "Little Mo" Nationals, which will be held at the Austin Tennis Academy from September 23-26 in Austin, Texas. These players will form a 16 draw size in each age division at the Nationals. The top 160 players who reach the Nationals are the youngest and brightest future stars in American tennis!

2022 “LITTLE MO” INTERNATIONALS
This year, we are looking forward to hosting all three of our international events beginning with the Racquet Club of Irvine from July 1-6 in Irvine, California! We will be finalizing the sites and dates soon for our remaining international events. We hope you will join us for the 1st leg - open to any player worldwide (ages 8-16)!

In 2006, MCB created the "Little Mo" Internationals for USA players to experience different styles of play and meet others from various countries and cultures from around the world. This flagship event was first held in Texas and it later evolved into three different events held in California, New York, and Florida. The "Little Mo" Internationals is designed for talented boys and girls (ages 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12) to compete against others born in the same year. The "Big Mo" divisions have also been added to some events for ages 13, 14, 15, and 16. These events have been held at some of the most prominent and historic tennis clubs in the United States.

The "Little Mo" Internationals in California will be a fun experience and a wonderful vacation for the entire family. Yellow (regular) ball divisions will be offered for ages 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 in addition to a green dot division option for ages 8, 9, and 10. Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles will be offered for all players in addition to an exciting Opening Ceremony, Player Parade, Clinic, Player Party, and other fun activities. Last year, the "Little Mo" Internationals in Florida featured over 600 players from 60 different countries!

2022 “LITTLE MO” SLAM - WIN THE 6 FOOT TROPHY!
Have you ever dreamed of winning the tallest trophy in junior tennis? In 2013, MCB created the ultimate challenge for any "Little Mo" player to win the "Little Mo" Slam. The Slam was created in honor of Maureen Connolly's Grand Slam win in 1953. If a "Little Mo" player can win their yellow ball division at all three Internationals in the same year (California, New York, Florida), they will receive the tallest trophy ever given in junior tennis (6 feet tall) and the title of "Little Mo" Slam Champion! The Slam continues this year with the 1st leg at the Racquet Club of Irvine in Irvine, California (July 1-6). The second leg is typically held in New York (August TBA), and the 3rd and final leg will be held in Florida (December TBA). There have been eight players who have accomplished this magnificent achievement in the past nine years. Who will it be this year?

SPONSORSHIP OF THE “LITTLE MO” TOURNAMENTS
We are actively looking for sponsors for the 2022 “Little Mo” tournaments. If you are interested or you know someone who works for a company that would be interested in being a sponsor of our “Road to the Little Mo Nationals” circuit and/or the three “Little Mo” Internationals (California, New York, Florida), please send an email to: carol@mcbtennis.org. We will be happy to send a customized PowerPoint sponsorship proposal, which would include branding opportunities such as placing banners at various sites across the country, advertising in the player program and booklet, having your logo on the t-shirts, and promoting your product(s) to our players and parents. We are also always trying to improve the “Little Mo” events, so please let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions.

HISTORY OF MAUREEN “LITTLE MO” CONNOLLY BRINKER AND MCB TENNIS FOUNDATION:
The “Little Mo” tournaments are hosted by MCB in memory of its tennis champion namesake, Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly Brinker. Born in San Diego, Maureen became the first woman to achieve the Grand Slam of tennis in 1953 by winning all four major championships (Australian, French, Wimbledon, and US Open) in the same year. She was well known for her powerful groundstrokes from the baseline, which earned her the famous nickname “Little Mo” - a comparison to the explosive firepower of the battleship USS Missouri, also known as “Big Mo”. Only five players in the history of tennis have won the calendar Grand Slam, and Maureen is still the only American woman and the youngest at age 18 to have accomplished this magnificent feat. She sailed through nine consecutive championship titles (three US, three Wimbledon, two French titles, one Australian) and she was unbeaten in 50 matches.

Unfortunately, her spectacular career would be short-lived due to a horseback riding accident in 1954. While she could no longer compete at an elite level, Maureen’s legacy as a legendary tennis star would continue through the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation (MCB). Founded in 1968 with her dear friend Nancy Jeffett, MCB’s mission would be the promotion and support of junior tennis development worldwide. That same year, she was inducted into the prestigious International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. Sadly, Maureen lost her valiant battle with cancer the following year and passed away at the young age of 34. Although her tennis career spanned three years, many premier sportswriters consider Maureen Connolly to be the finest of all female players for her achievements on and off the court. In 2019, she was even honored by the United States Postal Service with her very own “Little Mo” Commemorative Forever Stamp.

Today, MCB continues to support the growth of junior tennis by organizing numerous “Little Mo” tournaments throughout the United States annually for talented boys and girls (ages 8-16). These events are designed to provide outstanding competition at the regional, national, and international level while also encouraging players to develop new friendships, learn good sportsmanship, and most of all, have fun. The “Little Mo” tournaments are also unique in that young players have the opportunity to gauge their ability against others born in the same year from around the world (i.e., 8's play 8's, 9's play 9's). MCB strives to empower young athletes by giving travel grants, "Mo" Coins for prizes, and also Sportsmanship and Kindness awards to deserving individuals in honor of Maureen's legacy. The Foundation also contributes financially to many notable programs including the National Junior Tennis League for inner-city youth and Invest In A Child for deaf and wheelchair tennis.

Over the years, many well-known collegiate players and famous tennis professionals have participated in the “Little Mo” tournaments including Andy Roddick, Taylor Fritz, Sebastian Korda, Emma Raducanu, Leylah Fernandez, Dominic Thiem, Belinda Bencic, Jenson Brooksby, Madison Keys, Brandon Nakashima, Vasek Pospisil, Borna Coric, Coco Gauff, Mackie McDonald, Ryan Harrison, Taylor Townsend, Donald Young, Steve Johnson, Sofia Kenin, Denis Kudla, CiCi Bellis, and Ana Konjuh among many others. Roddick won the “Little Mo” in 1992 (age 10) and he said, “the ‘Little Mo’ was my first big win!” Gauff won the “Little Mo” in 2012 (age 8) and she said, “the ‘Little Mo’ is where the belief began.” This is all wonderful news for junior tennis and we are so proud that the “Little Mo” continues to be one of the most popular events for young players around the world.

MCB has promoted the development of junior tennis for over 54 years and continues to benefit countless numbers of young players worldwide. Thank you so much for your support of the "Little Mo" tournaments and the legacy of Maureen Connolly Brinker. It is our mission to provide players with a special and meaningful experience at all of our events. We would very much appreciate your help in spreading the word about the "Little Mo" so we can continue to impact future generations of young players. The MCB Tennis Foundation is led by its directors: Cindy Brinker Simmons (President), Brenda Brinker Bottum (Vice President), and Elizabeth Jeffett (Vice President). Carol Weyman (Executive Vice President) and Matthew Cody (Tournament Operations Manager) coordinate the “Little Mo” tournaments. For more information about the “Little Mo”, please visit our website at: www.mcbtennis.org and click on “Tournaments”. Thousands of players worldwide compete in the “Little Mo” tournaments and we hope to see even more youngsters play this wonderful “sport of a lifetime” this year. Play "Mo" Tennis