Friday, Mar. 4, 2005

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New tennis center director making headway

More tournaments, buzz seen as need for facility

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

It didn’t take David Gary, the new director of the Peachtree City Tennis Center, long to get some input on changes to the facility.

On his second day at work, Gary created a survey that has been posted at the tennis center and sent out in a massive e-mail. He’s also been introducing himself to individual patrons, both members and non-members, to hear what improvements they’d like to see.

“I’ve gotten some great feedback,” Gary said. “We’ve gotten a number of things done already. We’re trying to move in the right direction.”

One example: a fence door at the clay courts that was installed too high, allowing balls to roll under, causing a headache when they’d have to be chased down.

No longer. The door was fixed, as are some other little things around the facility. With results rolling in from the survey, and input from the center’s staff, Gary says he’s prepared to start working on his short, medium and long-term goals for the facility.

Already accomplished, however, is making sure local high school programs are involved at the center. Both tennis squads at McIntosh and Starr’s Mill will play matches at the center, and McIntosh will be practicing there too (Starr’s Mill was extended that offer also, but they prefer to practice at their courts close to school), Gary said.

Getting involved with state and area tennis groups is also important in an attempt to bring more tournaments back to the tennis center for 2006 and beyond, Gary said. Tourneys are important for their economic impact, he noted, so he will be developing relationships with officials from the U.S. Tennis Association, the U.S. Professional Tennis Association and the southern section of the Georgia Tennis Association.

Gary has tournament experience. At the two facilities he previously directed in Topeka, they held 21 tournaments in 2004.

As for the surveys, that information will be used to help Gary “determine what’s fair for the community as a whole.”

“I think people want to make the tennis center have a fun social and family type atmosphere again,” Gary said.

He also acknowledged that there’s a need to build the trust back among the local tennis community. Some current and former tennis center patrons have taken issue with the way personnel decisions have been handled by the city’s Tourism Association after it took over operations of the tennis center from the city’s Development Authority in January 2004.

“I want to be here for a long time,” Gary said. “It will take some work for people to trust us. But hopefully a year from now, it will be a different environment.”

Another focus has to be on maintaining the tennis center grounds, but the facility is one of the two best public facilities Gary has ever seen, and one of the top facilities in Georgia, which should play into an advantage in securing tournaments, he added. New facilities supervisor Bill Burke, along with the rest of staff, is playing a key role in the improvements, Gary added.

The tennis center also has to get the word out that anyone can play there, even if they aren’t members, Gary said. Non-members just have to pay higher court fees than members, who also get other benefits such as pro shop discounts.

Yearly memberships range from $200 for juniors, $300 for seniors, $500 for individuals, $700 for a family of two and $750 for families of three or more.

This month, the center is waiving the $150 signup fee in a bid to get people interested in participating; the fee is usually waived just for junior members.

The center will hold a tennis social March 11, with a hamburger and hot dog dinner to “have a blast with the staff,” Gary said. The cost for members is $10 and $15 for non-members, with sign-up sheets at the tennis center.

Starting today at 3:30 p.m. and tomorrow at 8 a.m., 11 high school teams from the area will be playing in an invitational tournament at the center, and the public is invited to come and watch, Gary said.

Sunday starting at 1:30 p.m., Penn State, with local player Jenny Shular, will face Valdosta State in another match that might draw a crowd, Gary said. The Penn State squad will also be practicing at the tennis center three days next week: Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Thursday at 8 a.m., in what is basically a spring break trip for the team, Gary said.