Community Effort Renovates HHS Tennis Courts

Work on the HHS tennis courts was finished in time for the team's first home tennis match March 15. Before the match, community supporters gathered  to recognize those who contributed to the project and to hold a ribbon cutting for the newly renovated courts. 

Project managers Greg Vanstory and Betsy Reid, along with Cub Cadet, the city, county and others in the community, have brought new life to the Haywood High School tennis courts. Through donations of time, materials, labor and funds, the courts have been refurbished, lights added and the landscape has been made more “viewer friendly.” 

This project is part of a “Community Partnership” with the school system. It began seven months ago with Dr. Marlon King’s permission. The goal - to support students and student athletes.

 “Education is the most important goal at our schools, but sports is a big part of the fabric of our city and county, along with our school system,” project leader Greg Vanstory said. “Just as our students need good classroom tools to reach their goals, we feel that they also need and deserve good facilities on which to play sports and compete. We wanted to improve the HHS tennis courts and the grounds surrounding them. We have a good baseball complex and a good football practice field at HHS. The tennis courts are in the middle of them. So we decided to clean them up, do court repairs and add lights, but we did not have a lot of money. So our team stepped up big time. We want our people and the out-of-town guests to see what good high school sports facilities we have here at HHS.”

According to Vanstory, through free labor and people donating their time and material, the schools/city/county saved $40,000 that it would have cost if it (the renovation) had been contracted.

“This project has been such fun,” Betsy Reid said. “From the Mayors to the Sheriff to Public Works, Parks and Rec, the Utility Department, the County Farm, the high school and a long list of volunteers, the response has been totally positive. This has been a perfect example of what can happen when different groups and individuals in the community pull together.”