Taught from a young age to always do her best, Emily Moore has given her all to her career in physical education. She initially became interested in the field when she discovered she had a natural ability to be successful in team sports. Adding to her love for athletics was how the team spirit carried over to her personal life, leading her to set an “uncompromising standard of excellence.” Ms. Moore decided she wanted to pass on those values to others, so she obtained a Bachelor of Science in physical education from Morgan State University in 1965 and a Master of Science in education and counseling from Hofstra University in 1972, as well as certification in K-12 physical education. She furthered her academic standing with a doctorate from Morgan State University in 2015.
Ms. Moore’s first professional position was physical education teacher and boys’ and girls’ tennis coach for the Roosevelt Union Free School District. Then, in 1975, Ms. Moore founded the Alliance Junior Tennis Development Program to introduce tennis to children who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed. She uses the sport to encourage structure and discipline in their daily lives. She also uses it to provide full tennis scholarships to many prestigious universities around the United States, as well as leadership training, empowerment workshops, field trips, tournament match play, and other cognitive development activities. Her efforts in this capacity were notably lauded by the late Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson.
Today, Ms. Moore is lending her expertise to the Ulysses Byas Elementary School, located within the Roosevelt School District. Her responsibilities as a teacher at the institution include developing innovative curriculum, teaching the fundamentals of popular team sports, and using conventional methods and resources to educate student in grammar, spelling and mathematics. Ms. Moore believes strongly in self-control and hard work, and strives to instill these characteristics into her students. She attributes her ongoing success to her discipline, consistency, self-control, and humble spirit.
Outside of her work, Ms. Moore has been very active in civic activities, civil rights, and volunteerism. She was the first of 11 students at Morgan State University to be arrested for refusing to leave a segregated movie theater, after which Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made a trip to encourage her and her colleagues. She also served in Nigeria as a Peace Corp volunteer and was present during three military coups in during their Civil War and was evacuated on a barge for three days, organized the Friends of SNCC in Paris, and served with Queen Mother Moore for three years in a delegation touring the United States and Tanzania. Additionally, in 2010, Ms. Moore was selected as an ambassador in the People to People Program. She is currently raising funds to build a school in Haiti.
As a testament to her hard work and dedication, Ms. Moore was honored with the Nassau County’s 2015 Women of Distinction Award, as well as the Arthur Ashe Multicultural Enhancement Award from the United States Tennis Association, the Summer Appreciation Award from the Alliance Junior Tennis Development Program, the Tennis Development Award from The Black Tennis & Sports Foundation, and the Outstanding Youth Advocate Award from the Eastern Section of the Long Island Youth Foundation, among many other accolades. She was also proud to be recognized for Outstanding Citizen Contribution to Improve Education from the Martin Luther King Junior Annual Honors and Awards Program.
When Ms. Moore has free time, she enjoys reading, chess, photography, and writing. She is the author of a poetry book called, “Just Like It Is.”
