Saturday began as a MISERABLE day. It was cloudy, rainy and just gross outside. I got to Katie's house 8 a.m. It was EARLY for the both of us. We found out the night before that I won tickets from Twist Magazine. It was a total surprise because I forgot that I had entered! Our seats were reserved (section 42, Row F) and I was glad to accept them. Knowing that we could take our time getting to our seats certainly brightened our day!
After I arrived at Katie's, we got Britt (Katie's cousin) and then headed to Flushing, NY. Doors opened around 10 a.m. (was originally 9:30 a.m.) and most of the outdoor activities were canceled due to the inclement weather. We met Kourtney (Assistant Editor of Twist Magazine) at 10:30 a.m. and entered the outdoor area. We found coverage at a grill area. We got our Evian water even though Katie had a point that we could have filled up empty bottles with rain water. (Don't worry, we would never actually do that!)
By 1 p.m. we were finally allowed into the stadium. That was a trek because once we got inside, we had to walk all the way around the stadium. The "talent" equipment was blocking the hall. Our gate was literally three gates to the left and were forced to the right. Guess what happened when we get to our seats?! THE RAIN STOPPED! That was a very exciting moment.
As people found their seats, the announcer came out to warm up the crowd. He shared the rules (green flag/red flag) and then introduced some teen members of the National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network. NJTL was established by Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and Sheridan Snyder in 1969 with the mission of developing the character of young people through tennis and education. The teens participated in a skills challenge. The winner would be participating in the Professionals Skills Challenge (the one that raises money for their charity) later on in the day.
The hosts of Arthur Ashe Kids' Day were television personalities Susie Castillo and Quddus (MTV) — Quddus looks so handsome with short hair! They were great hosts.
Mateo kicked-off the show. He performed one song and seemed to be a good opening act.
Jordin Sparks was second in line. She performed "Battlefield," "S.O.S." and "One Step at a Time." She had straight hair and a cute black & white dress. Her back-up singers and band looked and sounded great as well.
Following Jordin, we saw a quick game between James Blake/Kim Clijsters and Devin Britton/Ana Ivanovic. The referee was WILL FERRELL. Will came out dressed exactly like James Blake - bald cap and everything. Then Will had problems getting up in the referee chair. It was very comical.
After the friendly-bantering, the game ended and Honor Society got ready for their performance. It's been awhile since we saw the guys set up their own equipment. :)
The performed their new single "Over You" and then "See U In the Dark." The guys killed it (in a good way!). They sounded so great and we know that they were thrilled and overwhelmed just standing there - before their set, we noticed Mike standing with his arms crossed, just taking in the moment. We're so proud of all of the gentlemen for coming this far and for going further!
After Honor Society's set came the professional skills challenge. This contest included former US Open champions Serena Williams, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer. Will Ferrell and Skylar (a member of NJTL) also participated in the contest. The players had to hit "Hess" targets. Maria, Andy and Serena raised $15,000 for their charities. Roger raised $12,000 for his charity. Will and the winner of NJTL raised $10,000 for their charities! It was a great day to support those in need!
After the contest, Justin Bieber performed. I was blown away by how many people love this kid. I mean, he was great, but the screams for him were louder than the screams for Jordin and Honor Society put together! Justin reminds me of a young Aaron Carter and I think he'll do very well for himself. He's very talented — dances, sings and can play the guitar (among other instruments!)
After Justin's final performance (he sang three songs including "One Time" and "Bigger"), we watched another friendly match — the Will and Andy Show! The teams were Andy Murray/Will Ferrell and Andy Roddick/Will Arnett. I about died when I saw Will Arnett come out. I couldn't believe he was there! I just love Will Arnett. Kenan Thompson was the referee for this match. He was very funny.
By this time, the sun was peeking out from behind the gray clouds. It was a great way to end the day!
More photos are below the cut!
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