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Philadelphia, PA, April 9 – Marty Bloom and Sam Sporn, 19th Maccabiah USA Grand Masters Tennis Co-Chairs, announced that Bob Litwin, International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Champion will coach the Team  and be assisted by Lon Mitchell, at the Games in July. The Grand Masters Division is for athletes aged 65 to 80+ years.

“We are thrilled to have such a talented player and coach leading our team,” commented Bloom and Sporn. “We have a very impressive team including 12 alumni of past World Maccabiah Games, so we are very excited about the opportunities ahead.”

After playing Tennis for Great Neck South High School, Litwin did not play competitively until he tried out for the Maccabiah USA Open Tennis team at 32. He did not make that team but made it his mission to compete for the USA at the next Maccabiah Games in 1985.  He qualified for the Masters Tennis team at those Games, traveled to Israel for the competition and won bronze and gold medals. Since then, he has become a local senior legend, winning the ITF World Championship and 14 USTA National Championships, achieving the #1 World ranking in 2005 and being an eight-time member of the USA Senior Davis Cup Team.

Litwin credits much of his success to creating and following through on The Focused Game Method, asystem he created, which develops a player’s focus in highly competitive experiences. He works as a high performance coach with Wall Street Hedge Fund managers, traders and athletes. Litwin uses the athlete as a model for high performance to help people bring their best to their jobs and will use that methodology as the Head Coach and competitor for the Grand Masters Tennis team this summer.

“Returning to Israel to coach and compete as a member of Team USA at the Maccabiah Games is very important to me,” Coach Litwin remarked. “Tennis and Judaism are two of my passions and the Maccabiah Games provide the perfect opportunity to combine them. I hope to help all members of our team compete to the best of their ability and enjoy the magic of Israel.”

Team members include: Alan Arsht of New York, NY; Harris Barer of New York, NY; Marty Bloom of New York, NY; Barry Brahver of New York, NY; Daniel Burack of Harrison, NY; William Cohon of Shorline, WA; Ralph Finerman of Santa Monica, CA; Gerald Friedman of Ingelwood, CA; Lloyd Glazer of Boca Raton, FL; Edward Gluck of Lawrence, NY; Lawrence Greenspon of Longboat Key, FL; Howard Guggenheim of Boca Raton, FL; James Lipschutz of Havertown, PA; Bob LitwinHead Coach – of Glenwood Landing, NY; Lazar Lowinger of Newton, MA; Lon MitchelAssistant Coach – of East Meadow, NY; Marc Roth of Oakland, CA; James Schreiber of Greenwich, CT; Irwin Shorr of Olney, MD; Paul Slayton of Southampton, NY; Bob Sockolov of San Francisco, CA; Sam Sporn of Brooklyn, NY; Arnold Stark of Bronx, NY; Bruce Unterman of Bloomington, IL; Mark Willner of New York, NY; Michael Wise of Lawrence, NY;  and Gerald Zahler of Beachwood, OH.

“We are indeed blessed to have such great athletes and knowledgeable men such as Litwin and Mitchell as our coach and assistant coach,” said Sporn.

 For more information, or to arrange for an interview, please contact Sara Feinstein at 215.561.6900 x119 or sfeinstein@maccabiusa.com.

About the organization:

Maccabi USA (MUSA) is a federally-recognized not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization with an extensive history of enriching Jewish lives through athletic, cultural and educational programs.  The organization is the official sponsor of the United States Team to the World Maccabiah Games, the Pan American Maccabi Games and the Maccabi competitions in Europe and Australia, as well as a sponsor of the JCC Maccabi Games for teens in North America.  As the official Maccabi representative in the U.S., Maccabi USA supports Jewish athletic endeavors, enhanced by cultural and educational activities in the United States, Israel and throughout the Diaspora.

MUSA develops, promotes and supports international, national and regional athletic-based activities and facilities.  It strives to provide Jewish athletes the world over the opportunity to share their heritage and customs in competitive athletic settings.  MUSA supports programs that embody the Maccabi ideals of Jewish Continuity, Zionism and Excellence in Sport.  Maccabi USA Builds Jewish Pride Through Sports.

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