My Story

Growing up in the South Bronx (1961 - 1979)

I am proud to say that I grew up in the South Bronx.  Living there during the 1960s and 1970s was challenging, to put it mildly.  Surviving the mean streets of the South Bronx made me who I am today.  The word 'resilience' comes to mind, and back then, if you weren't resilient, the streets, neighborhood, and environment would swallow you whole.  Seemingly, there were only three possible destinations for those growing up there: prison, gang membership, or death.  If not for my parents' devout and profound guidance and support, I may have been one of those swallowed up.  My parents, Dorothy and Cliff, inspired me to dream and put in the love and effort to help make my dreams a reality.  The three photos below provide what the South Bronx was like back then, everyday life was like living in a war zone. 

Photo Credits: 

• https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160603/claremont/slideshow-see-stirring-photos-of-south-bronx-from-1970s-1980s 
• South Bronx. (2023, December 6). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Bronx
• https://allthatsinteresting.com/bronx-burning-1970s#26 - Camilo José Vergara Photographs

Crotona Park Tennis Courts (1972)

It feels like it happened just yesterday.  On a sunny summer day, I ran the streets with a friend because that's what we did: run the streets.  On this particular day, we decided to run around Crotona Park, something different than usual.  At one point, we separated, and I ended up in a section of Crotona Park that I hadn't ventured to before.  Getting lost that day, in a word, changed my life as I stumbled upon the Crotona Park tennis courts. Years later, I would realize that I had happened upon a tennis tournament, as a large crowd watched two players battling it out on the court.  Something about the grit and athleticism and the engaging crowd appealed to me.  I took one look and knew I had to learn how to play, and maybe one day, play in a tournament like the two competitors that day!

While I didn't take my first tennis lesson or hit my first tennis ball at Crotona Park, it would become my haven, an oasis for many years.  I was obsessed with tennis and would play every day, seemingly from sun up to sun down.   By playing passionately and so often, I became pretty good at tennis in a short amount of time, leading me to eventually become a tennis instructor, playing four years and captaining my high school tennis team, and gaining a full scholarship to attend the prestigious Port Washington Tennis Academy in Long Island, NY.

The first two photos provided below depict the original Crotona Park Tennis Courts.  The third photo is what the Crotona Park Tennis Courts look like today. Currently standing at the site of the original tennis court is the Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. 

The Cary Leeds Center provides more than 6,000 hours of free tennis court time annually to the community throughout New York City, who, with access to this multi-use facility, finally have a home court advantage.

The center is also available to the community — with tennis court time available for play, lessons, and events.  Indoor space, including ample multipurpose rooms and event space, is known for community organizations and private parties.

Photo Credits: 

• https://parkodyssey.blogspot.com/2014/03/crotona-park.html
• https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/crotona-park
• https://www.nyjtl.org/caryleeds/about/facility/

The Hoe Avenue Boy's Club (1972)

Living at 1967 Hoe Avenue in the South Bronx was a challenge and a blessing.  The challenge was dodging the mean streets daily; every day, it was a small triumph to safely get to and from school and back home while avoiding the constant evils.  It was that bad. Living at 1967 Hoe Avenue was also a blessing.  Maybe it was fate, but next door to our 6-story walkup would become the location for the Hoe Avenue Boy's Club.   On many levels, the Hoe Avenue Boy's Club significantly and positively influenced my life and the countless other members who called this haven home.  Since many, if not all, our parents worked, having a safe place to go to right after school was vital.  The Hoe Avenue Boy's Club was just that place.

So why is the Hoe Avenue Boy's Club important to my tennis story?  I took my very first tennis lesson in the gym in 1972!

I would be remiss if I didn't take the opportunity to provide context on how important the Hoe Ave Boy's Club is historically.  With the turmoil of gang life ever present in the South Bronx, the Hoe Avenue Boy's Club has a significant place in history:

SOUTH BRONX STREET GANGS PEACE MEETING by The South Bronx Network*
The Hoe Avenue Peace Meeting was an essential gathering of New York gangs on December 7, 1971, in The Bronx. It was called to propose a general truce and an unprecedented inter-gang alliance. The impetus for the meeting was the murder of "Black Benjie," a leader of the gang Ghetto Brothers.

The meeting was a success, but while no lasting peace was ever established, a subsequent negotiation was based on a procedure for dealing with conflicts to avoid street "warfare."

The meeting is notable for being one of the first attempts by street organizations to broker a truce between groups of different ethnic backgrounds.

*Credit: facebook.com/TheSouthBronxNetwork?refid=56

Photo Credits: 

• https://www.madisonsquare.org/our-clubhouses
• https://foursquare.com/v/madison-square-boys--girls-club/4e2eaed01838f1c552bc69ff
• https://oldschoolerscrew.blogspot.com/2010/01/peace-by-all-means-necessary-hoe.html

New York Junior Tennis League (1975)

After venturing to Arthur Avenue at age 14 to apply for and eventually receive my "working papers," it was time to look for a summer job.  There were not many options other than to help clean or hand out free lunches in Crotona Park.  I chose the latter and started giving out free lunches in the park, which, oddly enough, is not far from the tennis courts. 

Again, as fate would have it, I ventured over to the tennis courts during a break and came across a tennis instructor from the New York Junior Tennis League who gave tennis lessons to a group of kids.  The joy on the kid's faces radiated, and it reminded me of how I felt when I was introduced to tennis just a few years prior.  It was time to ditch the summer lunch job and join the New York Junior Tennis League as an instructor.  I did just that, and the rest is history.

Photo Credits: 

• https://www.nyjtl.org/

Port Washington Tennis Academy (1977-1979)

Wow, what a game-changer!  To get selected to the Port Washington Tennis Academy and receive a full scholarship was a fantastic achievement.  Looking back, I realize how significant the experience was on many levels.  Number one, I received expert tennis lessons and guidance from world-class tennis instructors. Number two, I was interacting with and competing against the top junior players in the region. And number three, I was venturing out of the South Bronx alone via mass transit to Long Island, NY, as a teenager.  And yes, I was the only black kid at the academy at the time, which, as you can imagine, provided me with some challenges.   I know each week, when Mom would give me what little money she had, she would pray that I would make the long journey there and back.  And yes, it was a journey! The IRT #2 or #5 train to Manhattan to switch to the Long Island Railroad train to Port Washington station and the 1-mile walk to the tennis club.  On a few occasions, while walking from the train, a passerby would offer me a lift, which I would politely decline each time.  The years spent honing my tennis skills at the Port Washington Tennis Academy were memorable and brought a world I would have never experienced without tennis!

Photo Credits: 

• https://longislandtennismagazine.com/article/2022-guide-long-island-tennis-magazines-top-clubs-programs/ 
• https://images.app.goo.gl/woPDhejBSTQeAGJ3A

Captain Syracuse University Men's Tennis Club (1979 - 1981)

I was saddened that Syracuse University did not have a men's tennis team.  If one thing were missing in my tennis journey, it would be that I did not play collegiate tennis.  I would eventually coach at the collegiate level but never had the opportunity to play on a college team.  Interestingly enough, I found out that Syracuse University did not have a team just a week before I would attend.  I was at the U.S. Open and walked into Louis Armstrong Stadium, the "main" stadium at the time.  While on the way up the ramp into the stadium, I noticed a young man approaching me wearing a Syracuse sweatshirt. I was so excited to ask about the men's team, etc.  Maybe he was on the team and would know the coach?  As we passed each other, I yelled, "Hey, how's the Men's Tennis Team at Cuse?"  He looked at me with a deadpan stare and smirked, "Dude, there is no Men's Tennis Team at Syracuse, only a Women's Team!"  You can only imagine what I felt like when I got that news.  I had envisioned arriving at Syracuse and attempting to get on the tennis team as a walk-on.  That news crushed me, and only a week before landing at Syracuse, I was so disappointed that my possible dream of playing collegiate tennis was shattered.

So here is where the inquisitive South Bronx came out.  Upon landing at Syracuse, I started researching how to locate other tennis players on campus.  Sorry, there was no internet or cell phones back then, so I had to venture to the athletic offices to research.  I'm an incoming freshman at Syracuse University, so my priorities should have been acclimating to the new environment.  But stubbornly, my love for tennis led me on this journey. 

Ultimately, one phone call and subsequent visitor led me to the person overseeing the student-led Syracuse University Men's Tennis Club.  I was excited to meet him, learn more about the club, and become a member.  At the meeting, the gentleman mentioned that our meeting would be brief as the student who had run the club had graduated, and no student had stepped up to take over.   Essentially, the tennis club was coming to an end.  To his amazement, I said I would take over and run the club!  I guess I shocked him, as how could first-year students be able to step in and run the club?  He asked me if I had prior experience, and I remember making up enough of a good, believable story.   

The rest is history as I successfully navigated the men's tennis club for a few years, meeting many tennis players on campus and setting up matches against a few local schools.  

Volunteer Assistant Tennis Coach - New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) (2009 - 2014)

My devout love for teaching tennis reached its zenith when I approached the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the school I attended while pursuing my second master's degree, and asked if I could serve as a volunteer tennis coach.   The experience was terrific, and the level of competition was NCAA Division 1.  We had students from all over the world on the team, and I will always cherish the camaraderie with players and coaches.  A critical achievement of note was our Women's Team winning the Great West Conference Championship in 2014, marking the 1st NCAA Division 1 championship in the school's history.  I hope we will get called back one day to celebrate that tremendous accomplishment. 

Photo Credits: 

• https://njithighlanders.com/sports/womens-tennis/roster/2013-14
• Jones, B.A. (2014), Coach Bernard Jones & Coach Scott Blumberg - NJIT versus Manhattan College Tennis Match. NJIT Tennis Center, Newark New Jersey

Head Tennis Pro - Berkeley Tennis Club (2022 - Present)

Berkeley Tennis Club in Orange, New Jersey, is where I call home!  We are a particular tennis club that is unique in two prominent ways.  First, we boast beautiful red clay courts, which set us apart from all other tennis clubs. Second, we provide a uniquely friendly, family-oriented tennis experience, our primary trait.  Unlike other clubs, Berkeley Tennis Club prides itself on delivering an inviting and festive club atmosphere from a tennis-playing and welcoming standpoint. Oh, and let's not forget, we know how to party and have a good time after that last point is over on the court.

I am proud to serve as the head teaching pro at Berkeley Tennis Club, and I look forward to many more enjoyable seasons on the red clay!

Photo Credits: 

• Jones, B.A. (2023). Bernie Slam II - Ladies Tennis Draw Participants. Berkeley Tennis Club, Orange New Jersey
• Jones, B.A. (2023), Bernie Slam II - Gemtleman Tennis Draw Participants. Berkeley Tennis Club, Orange New Jersey

Establishing Dr B Jones Tennis Academy (2022 - Present)

Now, it's my turn to give back and connect with the youth of Essex County to provide tennis and life lessons!

Talk about the "Circle of Life!"

I've been blessed with tennis, which has helped me to build a beautiful and successful personal and professional career.  I could not think of a more fitting way to celebrate what tennis gave me by paying it forward and establishing this non-profit organization.  Each Saturday, I am in a school gymnasium or on a tennis court, teaching students about tennis, life skills, decision-making, sportsmanship, physical fitness, and much more!  The smiles on all their faces are priceless.

Please join me by donating or volunteering to support our non-profit!

PLAY TENNIS!

Photo Gallery

Tennis photos over the years!

Enjoy!