On October 20th, 2009 our family changed forever when our beloved brother & cousin, Jonathan Patrick DeMatteo passed away at the age of 22. Jon’s death was unexpected and shocked us all to the core. We were in our 20’s all enjoying life beginning to become closer as we grew older and suddenly that changed. We were forced to navigate feelings of loss, mortality, sadness and how you learn to live with that feeling of loss.
At Jon’s wake there were almost 2,000 people and the next morning, a packed church to mourn Jon’s passing, memorialize him and support our family. This showing of support from our friends meant a lot of people were generous and kind enough to donate to a scholarship in memory of Jon.
The Jonathon Patrick DeMatteo Scholarship of $1,000 is awarded to a graduating Senior at Hamden High School, where all 3 DeMatteo brothers attended. We are going on our 18th year with this scholarship. WIth a few bonus scholarships we have donated more than $20,000 to Hamden High graduating seniors.
Now we are all in our 40’s and we have the chance to do more to help the youth in our community. In 2025 our family decided to set up The DeMatteo Family Foundation as a full fledge 501c3 Charitable Organization with a mission to teach and develop skills and literacy to area youth with a focus on marginalized communities in the areas of sports, technology and the arts through experiential learning, training and coaching. The DeMatteo Family Foundation will also expand its scholarship offerings and donations will also be made to area youth and youth organizations in these areas, focusing on New Haven County.
On September 29th 2025, the day after what would have been Jon’s 40th Birthday, The DeMatteo Family Foundation held the inaugural Jonathon DeMatteo Classic, a golf event fundraiser at The View in Hamden. Over 300 golfers, volunteers, sponsors and donors raised over $50,000 for the Foundation. We raised well beyond our goal of 40k for Jon’s 40th and that $50,000 was matched totaling over $100,000 raised!
Our Mission is to teach and develop skills and literacy in the areas of sports, media technology, and the arts through hands-on experiential learning, training, and coaching to area youth with a focus on marginalized communities.
Success scholarships and donations will also be made to area youth and youth organizations in these areas, focusing on New Haven County.
Tenniso began in 2012 with just one court and a clear goal: to make tennis both accessible and aspirational. What started as a local academy has grown into a respected institution where families, athletes, and coaches unite to pursue something bigger than the game—personal growth through sport.
We don’t just teach tennis. We build character, sportsmanship, and a supportive network for players and families. With small group sizes, individual progress tracking, and year-round programming, Tenniso ensures no player is left behind in their journey to success.
