ANSON — Alex Gaddy, who has been the Activity Director at HOLLA! Development Center for 16 years, spoke before commissioners Tuesday to ask for their involvement in partnering with the Anson School interim Superintendent, Brian Ratliff to introduce a tennis program to the district.
Gaddy fondly recalled his days at Bowman High School where he played tennis with HOLLA! Founder Leon Gatewood.
“One thing that disappoints me greatly, is I graduated in 1975 from Bowman High School and we had a regulation court, beautiful facility, and now it has become dilapidated. We have another court at Little’s Park, two courts, and if we don’t do something soon to bring those courts up to par, then we will never be able to use them. That is $300,000 right there, down the drain.”
With Anson County having two courts, and both are falling into disrepair, Gaddy informed citizens that over his 16-year tenure he worked tirelessly on HOLLA!’s tennis program, the HOLLA! Eagles.
“Twelve years ago I brought a group of students to the school board meeting to demonstrate the advantages and the enhancement that tennis presents to these young people,” Gaddy said.
Gaddy said 12 years ago it was discussed building tennis courts at the school and possibly repairing the county’s two current tennis courts. Realizing the dire financial straits the county finds itself in, Gaddy is still confident after speaking with Superintendent Ratliff options are available.
“The young people (HOLLA! Eagles) have been to the US Open in NY City, performed at Center Court, they have been to Fort Lauder dale in Miami, Florida. Representing us, they go to the Charleston Tournament on Daniel Island, almost every year. And we have gotten the support of the USTA, the governing body of all tennis in America. We have the NC Tennis Foundation based in Greensboro … They have come to the school board meetings and said they can assist us build tennis courts when we are ready,” Gaddy said.
Feeling the time is right, Gaddy has held many conversations with an amenable superintendent and is hopeful of finding a financial solution.
“I have been talking to the superintendent as to how we can forge a sponsorship with the school system, how we can at least start to introduce the students to tennis a little bit more. I’m not talking about expensive things to do. Just in assistance or in coaching, if we can get some assistance on bringing the coaches in some times, two or three times a month. HOLLA! Has been pulling the load all this time without any assistance. We hope that we can find a way where the school system with your blessing, the commissioners, with the superintendent we can figure out something we can work out with him … He thinks with a little more dialogue there may be something that we can do,” Gaddy said.
Explaining the merits of tennis for kids, Gaddy said there are plenty of advantages to bringing tenning to the school district.
“I know the advantage of having the sport of tennis, when people look at our county we want to encourage people to come relocate here and they find out that we have a tennis program, that could be another mark on the totem pole because tennis is like golf, it’s a culture and we don’t want out kids to miss out on that culture,” Gaddy said. “It helps academically, you can’t be dumb and play tennis. The kids are buying in but we don’t get the participation because they don’t see it and the objective is to get them to see more of it. We feel if they see more of it we will get better participation. We hope that can continue this dialogue and find a way that is not stringent at this time.”
