Asheville City Soccer Club Joins USL W League
Asheville City SC Announced As Newest USL W League Club
North Carolina-based club becomes the tenth confirmed participant for the W League’s inaugural season in 2022
ASHEVILLE, N.C.- The United Soccer League (USL) today announced Asheville City SC as the latest club to join the USL W League. The North Carolina-based club is the second club to join the W League out of the Carolinas and continues to grow the league’s footprint in preparation for the start of the league’s inaugural season in 2022.
“The addition of our second club out of the Carolinas speaks volumes about the growth of women’s pre-professional soccer in the South Atlantic region,” said Betsy Haugh, Director of Women’s Soccer for the USL W League. “Asheville City SC has a long history of success both on the field and within the greater Asheville community. We are excited to be adding a club of this caliber to the ranks of W League and look forward to all of the great work they will do in bringing awareness to the women’s pre-professional space.”
Founded in 2016, Asheville City SC was built on the mission of creating an environment that enables local players to pursue their dreams, using soccer as a force for good within the community and seeking to win championships for its supporters.
Asheville City SC has fielded a women’s team since 2018 and in joining the W League, the club will expand its ability to offer its players and coaches a competitive gameday environment in which they can exercise their skills and grow their careers to the greatest degree. In addition, the W League’s career development pillar will help continue Asheville City’s mission of helping players pursue their dreams both on and off the pitch.
“We couldn’t be more excited to join the USL W League at this point in our club’s history,” said Lydia Jackson, Technical Director for Asheville City SC. “We’ve come to know the professionalism with which USL conducts its leagues through our experience in USL League Two and we’re looking forward to competing against clubs that share our vision and ambition for the women’s game.”
To learn more about Asheville City SC, visit www.ashevillecitysc.com or follow Asheville City SC on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Asheville Championship Announced as Newest Early Season Men’s College Basketball Tournament
Inaugural tournament airing on ESPN prepared to crown the first champion of the season in the Blue Ridge Mountains
(Asheville, NC) August 4, 2021 – It all starts in Asheville. The Asheville Championship is the newest test for top college basketball programs looking to set the tone for the season and be crowned the first official champion of 2021-22. The four-team tournament will take place at Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville, featuring South Carolina, Minnesota, Western Kentucky, and Princeton as the inaugural field. The event is created by KemperLesnik, who operates the Maui Jim Maui Invitational and manages the event portion of the McDonald’s All American Basketball Games.
The Asheville Championship will air on the ESPN family of networks on Friday, November 12 and Sunday, November 14. Friday’s match ups include Western Kentucky vs. Minnesota and Princeton vs. South Carolina.
“There could not be a better city than Asheville to have the honor of tipping off the season,” said Tom Valdiserri, executive vice president of KemperLesnik. “There is big demand from college programs, fans and networks to kick off the season with a new, neutral site championship, and we are honored to help make that happen in North Carolina, the heart of college basketball in the region. It is a great way to test early season conditioning and talent, as well as excite a fan base with quality competition and end-to-end action when fans are craving the start of a new college basketball season the most.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, KemperLesnik was forced to relocate the 2020 Camping World Maui Invitational from its home on the island of Maui to the mainland in Asheville. The 2020 event ended as the only early season men’s multi-team tournament to successfully take place in a secured bubble with its original field. Asheville became the first-ever non-Hawaiian site for the event, and its success spawned interest from college basketball programs and sponsors to establish the first annual tip-off tournament in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As a result, the Asheville Championship was formed and will now serve as a premier event celebrating the start of the college basketball season as well as the first-class music, food and outdoor activities Asheville has to offer.
“Asheville has a strong basketball fan base, and the city already serves as host for the annual Southern Conference tournament and other world-class events,” said Tournament Chairman David Odom. “Early season tournaments are known for excited fans and even more exciting play, often setting the tone for the season to come. Our hope is that the Asheville Championship will be the start of a new tradition in college basketball, serving as a cornerstone for some of the best programs and fans to rally together in the Blue Ridge Mountains and celebrate the beginning of another highly anticipated college basketball season.”
Supporting partners for the tournament include Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, Cambria Downtown Asheville, Explore Asheville, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, Ingles Markets, Liquidlogic Kayaks, and Wicked Weed.
Tickets are available now exclusively through participating schools' ticket offices. Tickets for the general public go on sale September 14 at 10:00 am ET.
For more information, or to follow along as it all starts in Asheville, follow us on social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook).
Gran Fondo Asheville Brings National Championship Cycling Back to North Carolina
Gran Fondo Asheville Brings National Championship Cycling Back to North Carolina
(Gettysburg, PA – July 14, 2021) On Sunday, July 18, 2021, the Colnago Gran Fondo National Series will hold the annual Gran Fondo Asheville cycling event, starting and finishing in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The event is expected to bring 1,000 cyclists to the area to ride one of three area road routes. Riders who qualified at earlier events will also be competing for the official USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championship.
The Gran Fondo Asheville event has a long history of working with local businesses and partners, along with the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission. The event will start and finish outside of The Twisted Laurel downtown, which is also hosting the post-ride party for all participants. The Sourwood Inn has offered a special prize the to the fastest male and female cyclists on a timed segment of Elk Mountain Scenic Highway. Local outdoor equipment companies Cane Creek and Industry Nine are sponsoring aid stations on the course where riders can replenish themselves with food and water. Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO) will have a Recovery Zone at the finish area so rides can relax in hammocks. And there will be a beer garden for riders, sponsored by Oskar Blues Brewery.
The Colnago Gran Fondo National Series partners with local non-profits in each of the eight communities where Series events are held. In the Asheville area, the Series supports Asheville on Bikes, which cultivates the culture of urban and commuter cycling through advocacy and celebration, and believes cycling has direct benefit to the health of the community.
Cyclists will depart from The Twisted Laurel between 8:00-8:30am to ride their choice of a 100-, 60-, or 30-mile route (view route maps) that takes them into the hills and valleys northwest of Asheville. The unique ‘timed segment’ competition format of Colnago Gran Fondo National Series events largely eliminates the need for road closures. Roads that comprise the cycling routes will remain open to car traffic and both cyclist and drivers are asked to exhibit grace and patience as they share the roads for the day.
Volunteer positions are still available. Groups or individuals who want to help riders have a great experience at Gran Fondo Asheville can volunteer in a variety of areas, including course marshal, registration, and aid stations. Volunteers will receive a complementary entry to another Series event (or the 2022 Gran Fondo Asheville), an event t-shirt, and lunch. Information on volunteering.
About Gran Fondo National Series (granfondonationalseries.com)
Asheville Lacrosse Classic Returns For Fifth Year
Asheville Lacrosse Classic Returns For Fifth Year
In 2016, Asheville welcomed Carpetbagger Lacrosse and the Asheville Lacrosse Classic to the Buncombe County Sports Park with 81 teams. In planning for the return of the event in 2021, the event was expanded to two weekends with the boys playing June 18-20, 2021 and the girls playing June 25-27, 2021. The tournament will be played at the Buncombe County Sports Park and John B. Lewis Soccer Complex.
“As we were planning, we asked to go to a two-weekend model based on the Covid-19 recommendations at the time. With the adjustments made by the State of North Carolina, tournament organizers have been able expand the tournament field while still meeting all recommended Covid-19 safety precautions,” said Demp Bradford, President of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission.
Pre-Tournament Impact data predicts that over the two weekends, the tournament will generate over 6,000 room nights and an event value estimation over $3.2 million dollars.
This tournament is a collaborative effort of the Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association (ABYSA), Buncombe County Parks and Recreation, Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission and Explore Asheville. While not a soccer event, ABYSA has been the driving force in making sure that all fields are ready and the tournament is staffed and a success.
“We really strive to make the most of our relationships with Explore Asheville, Asheville Buncombe County Regional Sports Commission, the City of Asheville, and Buncombe County. In managing our relationships at the Buncombe County Sports Park and John B Lewis Soccer Complex, we have found a great balance in hosting sports tourism events that benefit the community economically, and benefit thousands of ABYSA soccer players and families the other 80% of the time. We are big fans of the “tourism builds community” idea and really love working with the Carpetbagger Lacrosse event owners, They are professionals and very good at what they do. Events like this help us make the most of the weekends that our facilities can serve sports tourism as opposed to just local soccer players,” said ABYSA Executive Director Mike Rottjakob.
ABYSA has helped to scheduled ultimate frisbee, rugby, and adult lacrosse events, in addition to three soccer tournament weekends in August. While just starting events in late June, this could still become a record-breaking event for the events held at facilities in Buncombe County. “Mike and his board have always been great partners believing that everyone benefits from these type of collaborative efforts not only the local soccer players,” said Bradford. “We could not host these type of events without the partnership with ABYSA and Buncombe County Parks and Recreation.”
Tournament History
2016: 81 Teams & 1458 Participants
2017: 85 Teams & 1530 Participants
2018: 93 Teams & 1674 Participants
2019: 95 Teams & 1710 Participants
2021 137* Teams & 2466* Participants
Southern Conference Basketball Championships To Remain In Asheville Through 2026
Tournaments will have been in Asheville for 15 straight years at end of new deal
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference has reached an agreement with representatives from the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, Buncombe County and the City of Asheville, North Carolina, to continue to host the league’s men’s and women’s basketball championships at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville through 2026. The new five-year deal extends a partnership that has proven successful for both the league and the Asheville community for more than two decades.
A formal press conference to announce the agreement will take place at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the banquet hall at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.
“This is a historic day to extend the Southern Conference’s long-standing and successful partnership with Asheville to host our basketball championships,” SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus said. “Over the 101 SoCon basketball championships, Asheville has hosted the most of any city. What makes this tournament special is how the city and area community embrace it, having an ideal venue and how much our schools and fans enjoy coming here.
“I would like to thank the sports commission, City of Asheville, Buncombe County commissioners, local organizing committee, volunteers, my outstanding staff and our title sponsor Ingles and presenting sponsor General Shale of the last several years for making this tournament not only the oldest conference basketball tournament but the best. We can’t wait to work together with our outstanding local team to continue grow this event for years to come.”
First contested in 1921, the SoCon men’s tournament is the nation’s oldest collegiate conference tournament. Asheville has served as host to the SoCon’s championship more than another other location, with the 22-year history of the tournament in the city comprising a 12-year run from 1984-95 and the current 10-year run that began in 2012. At the end of the current extension, the tournament will have been in Asheville for 15 consecutive years, which will eclipse a 14-year stay in Raleigh, North Carolina, from 1933-46 as the longest stretch the tournament has stayed in one location consecutively.
The SoCon women’s basketball championship has been contested in Asheville 11 times, with the semifinals and final played there in 1995 before the current 10-year stretch.
“The Southern Conference Basketball Championships have a rich tradition in Asheville and we are excited that the tournaments will remain in Asheville through 2026,” Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission President Demp Bradford said. “This is more than basketball for our community – it’s the Downtown Dribble, Education Days and Hometown Heroes. All of these special events surround some of the best basketball in the country, and Asheville is excited to continue to be the home of this tournament.”
After a 17-year absence, the SoCon tournaments’ return to Asheville in 2012 was a resounding success, with the men’s tournament drawing more than 12,000 additional fans from the year prior. The relationship between the tournament and Asheville has continued to flourish, as four of the last five tournament title games have sold out. The 2020 tournament averaged just under 5,000 fans per session, the best average attendance for the league since 2012.
While COVID protocols drastically limited attendance in 2021, all 18 SoCon teams were able to participate and the tournament was played to completion, sending men’s champion UNCG and women’s champion Mercer to the NCAA postseason.
“Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority is thrilled that the Southern Conference Basketball Championships will tip off in Asheville once again,” said Vic Isley, President & CEO of Explore Asheville. “The long-standing Southern Conference partnership results in positive economic value and meaningful community engagement, generating nearly $4 million direct spending for local businesses in past years just before we swing into spring season.”
The entirety of the men’s tournament run in Asheville has been contested at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. With renovations to the building part of the initial draw to bring the SoCon back to Asheville, the venue has continued to make improvements, with new videoboards and ribbon boards installed ahead of the 2021 championships.
“For over 20 years, our venue has been proud to host the SoCon Championships for men’s and women’s basketball,” Harrah's Cherokee Center – Asheville General Manager Chris Corl said. “As we move forward in returning to large-scale elite athletic and music events, we are honored to say that the Southern Conference Basketball Championships will remain one of our favorite anchor events of the year.”
The 2022 SoCon Basketball Championships are scheduled for March 3-7.
American Cornhole League Is Coming To Asheville
Professional Cornhole Is Making It’s Way to Asheville
Asheville, NC - American Cornhole League announced the host cities for the league’s newest event series called the American Cornhole League Pro Shootout Series. Asheville is one of the eight cities to host a Pro Shootout event this summer. The event is expected to draw between 200-250 professional cornhole players on June 11-12, 2021 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville.
“Asheville is excited to be hosting the American Cornhole League Pro Shootout at the Harrah's Cherokee Center-Asheville. Cornhole has grown in popularity nationally and this is an event which we feel will introduce our community to professional cornhole and opens the door to hosting more cornhole events in the near future,” said Demp Bradford, President of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission.
Mostly known as recreational activity in the backyard or at tailgates, cornhole is one of the fastest growing competitive sports in the country and the American Cornhole League is one of the fastest growing sports leagues in the nation.
Western North Carolina is the home of two professional American Cornhole League players in Danny Williams from Hendersonville and Tyler Stephenson from Clyde. Williams and Stephenson are the 64th ranked pro doubles team in the American Cornhole League.
“I've enjoyed being able to go many different places all over the nation to play but now to have not only an ACL event, but an ACL Pro event in our local area is awesome. It's going to be great to be able to compete with the best cornhole players in the world right here in my own backyard,” said Stephenson.
The two-day event will be free for the public to attend on Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12. The Championship will be broadcasted live on the CBS Sports Network Saturday, June 12, 2021 from 6pm-8pm ET.
For more information on the tournament, please visit: www.iplaycornhole.com
For free tickets to Saturday, please visit: https://aclproshootout-hcca.eventbrite.com
Students Adopt-a-Team for Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships
Students Adopt-a-Team for Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships
Credit: BCS Communications Dept.
The 2021 Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships Presented By General Shale tipped off without spectators on Thursday, March 4, but that's not stopping Buncombe students from cheering on their teams!
This year, ten Buncombe County schools - one for each Southern Conference team - adopted a university to cheer on throughout the March 4-8 event. Organized through each school's physical education (PE) program, students and teachers teamed up to make signs and recorded themselves chanting and cheering. The video clips will be played on screens at Harrah's Cherokee Center throughout the tournament for both men's and women's matchups, giving athletes a virtual fan experience and letting them know their supporters are not far away. Additionally, PE teachers are organizing basketball-themed games and lessons in their classes this month, encouraging health and exercise with a fun March Madness twist.
At Enka Intermediate School, PE students will be checking in on Mercer University's progress throughout the tournament.
"When I told [students] we had the opportunity to adopt the Mercer Bears and be up on the screen, they got so excited," said Enka Intermediate PE teacher Katherine Thomas. "They wore their orange and black, we talked about where the university was and the team's record this year, and they just appreciated being a part."
After hearing about the students' efforts, some Southern Conference teams have already made plans to reach out to the schools. For example, Western Carolina University Coach Kiley Hill sent a special video message this week to the students at Johnston Elementary.
"We are so jacked that you've adopted us for this year, and we're excited to see you guys very, very soon," Hill said to the students.
During the tournament, three BCS high school JROTC units will virtually introduce games through formal Presentation of Colors videos, accompanied by student musicians. The groups include A.C. Reynolds High's Army JROTC and Chorale, Enka High's Air Force JROTC and Wind Ensemble, and T.C. Roberson High's Air Force JROTC and Chamber Choir. The virtual JROTC presentations were produced by the BCS Communications Dept.
In past years, third through eighth grade BCS students have attended games during the Southern Conference's Education Days, often as a reward for positive decision-making in school. Last year, just prior to the pandemic, nearly 2,900 BCS students and chaperones attended the games at Harrah's, and several arts programs and clubs performed during breaks.
The 2021 women's Southern Conference tournament runs March 4-7, and the men's tournament runs March 5-8.
Special thanks to the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission, Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville, and the Southern Conference for their role in involving students in this tradition during this unusual year."
Southern Conference Basketball, 2021 BCS Adopt-a-Team
Chattanooga Mocs, West Buncombe Elementary
The Citadel Bulldogs, Haw Creek Elementary
East Tennessee State Buccaneers, Avery’s Creek Elementary
Furman Paladins, Emma Elementary
Mercer Bears, Enka Intermediate
Samford Bulldogs, Candler Elementary
UNC Greensboro Spartans, Leicester Elementary
Virginia Military Institute Keydets, Black Mountain Elementary
Western Carolina Catamounts, Johnston Elementary
Wofford Terriers, North Buncombe Elementary
Teams were adopted on a first-come first-served basis.
By: Benjamin Rickert
BCS Communications Dept.
7th Annual Hoops Against Hunger partners with Ingles SoCon Basketball Championships
7TH ANNUAL HOOPS AGAINST HUNGER PARTNERS WITH INGLES SOCON BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS March 4-8
CHEROKEE, N.C. (WLOS) — For the seventh straight year, Eblen Charities is launching its Hoops Against Hunger campaign in partnership with the Ingles Southern Conference Basketball Championships March 4-8 at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center.
Starting now through the end of the basketball tournament on March 8, both monetary donations and easy-to-prepare, kid-friendly food items will be collected in the lobbies of several Asheville hotels hosting the SoCon basketball teams.
This year, all food and monetary donations will go straight to benefit Buncombe County students and their families who have been affected by the pandemic.
Donations can be made by texting “HOOPS” to 345345 or by visiting eblencharities.org.
Participating hotels where food items will be collected include:
Cambria Hotel -- 15 Page Avenue, Asheville
Crowne Plaza -- 1 Resort Drive, Asheville
DoubleTree by Hilton Biltmore -- 115 Hendersonville Road, Asheville
Hilton Biltmore Park -- 43 Town Square Blvd, Asheville
Hyatt Place Downtown and Renaissance -- 199 Haywood Street, Asheville
This year, Eblen Charities celebrates its 30th anniversary of providing emergency support to people in need in Western North Carolina.
Eblen serves people in crisis, such as due to a job loss, serious illness or disability, by providing financial assistance with heating, utility bills, rent, medical, transportation, food, clothing and more.
The 2020 3rd annual Hoops Against Hunger Hotel Challenge brought in a record amount of food for Buncombe County kids who may not have enough to eat while away from school on Spring Break.
More than 10,000 snacks and meals -- nearly 5,000 pounds of food -- were collected at the hotels and the Ingles SoCon Basketball Tournament.
By Brittany Whitehead
Through COVID-19, Asheville Tennis finds new approach to deliver access and equality to underserved communities
Through COVID-19, Asheville Tennis finds new approach to deliver access and equality to underserved communities
On a mountaintop southeast of Asheville, four 8-9-year-olds bat a tennis ball back and forth over a portable net with more enthusiasm than finesse. The children, who live in neighboring houses, have been inseparable playmates for years. And while they don’t need any encouragement to entertain themselves outdoors, the pals are having fun playing tennis—a game new to them. “We’re not focusing on the rules yet,” said Heather Sellers, the mother of one of them. “But hitting the ball helps with their hand-eye coordination and gross motor skill development.” Right now, the four play on an overgrown dirt court constructed by residents who lived on the mountain years ago. Sellers said they hope to play on a real court with friends in the future.
The youngsters might never have discovered tennis if not for COVID-19.
Coronavirus strikes a hard blow
As COVID-19 raced unchecked across the nation, North Carolina officials issued a statewide stay-at-home order in late March 2020, to be followed later by a three-phase, gradual lifting of restrictions. About the same time it showed up on the state’s radar, Jeff Joyce, president of the Asheville Tennis Association (ATA), was preparing as usual for a year that would become anything but that.
“We were getting the tennis courts ready for our April 1 opening,” Joyce said. “We had several clinics scheduled and had budgeted to give every child who participated a free racquet and balls.” However, plans were put on hold indefinitely when the City of Asheville suspended outside groups from holding programs at its facilities, including the Aston Park Tennis Center.
As North Carolinians isolated, Joyce canceled and rescheduled events one after the other. By early summer, ATA made the hard call to scratch its full slate of programs, including clinics for all ages, socials, programs for the underserved and the Asheville Open Tennis Championships, the latter for the first time since World War II. Additionally, the U.S. Tennis Association North Carolina suspended leagues, sidelining 1,200 Asheville players who signed up for spring competition.
“This has been a tough year, to say the least,” Joyce said. “With the global pandemic, social unrest and the economic crisis, we lacked any semblance of normalcy.” As a result, ATA’s mission to promote and grow tennis for the first half of 2020 was nil.
The North Carolina Tennis Association (NCTA), the umbrella for community tennis associations like Asheville, saw the same scenario playing out across the state. In response, it rolled out an innovative game-changer that moved tennis from public courts to private homes. The Try Tennis Toolkit, which includes a mini-net, four rackets, balls and game instructions, was designed to provide families with a way to learn and play the game at home. Additionally, the toolkits were conceived as a fundraiser for community tennis associations to sell to the public.
ATA ups its ground game
While the fundraiser looked good on paper, ATA board members felt there was a better alternative than benefitting its own coffers. Asheville’s economy—heavily reliant on the hospitality and tourism industries—was particularly hard hit, the unemployment rate soaring near record levels. “With so many people out of work, asking them to spend $150 for a tennis kit wasn’t realistic,” Joyce said. “Instead, we decided to take the sport to Asheville’s minority and low-income neighborhoods.”
ATA co-vice president Kate Hurley suggested finding sponsors to purchase the toolkits, then donating them to families in areas with limited or no access to tennis courts and gear. With the Asheville Open cancelled, Hurley, who also co-chairs the tournament, first approached Brian Elston Law, the Open’s presenting sponsor, about diverting his funds to underwrite the toolkits. “Brian jumped at it,” Hurley said of Elston, the firm’s owner and an avid tennis player. When combined with an anonymous donation and contributions received earlier in the year, ATA had the more than $9,000 needed to purchase 75 toolkits. Joyce lobbied hard to receive the state’s first shipment of toolkits and set up an assembly and distribution center in his garage.
ATA reached out to more than a dozen nonprofit organizations and government agencies in Asheville and Buncombe County to identify and select recipients. In addition, toolkits were given to Special Olympics and ACEing Autism families, Asheville Housing Authority, Asheville Parks and Recreation Rec N Roll, and Buncombe County Sheriff's Office.
“Delivering the toolkits and seeing the happiness they brought is a stark reminder to how fortunate we are,” Joyce said of the distribution, which started in early August. “This project gives ATA a way to grow the sport of tennis in a different and inventive way.”
Hurley echoed Joyce’s position: “Jeff’s leadership from day one has been to serve the underserved.” Joyce, who retired from the Asheville Department of Parks and Recreation, said throughout his career here and in other cities he’s seen a common need to provide something of value. “We serve a lot of people who have a tremendous need,” he said. “As long as I’m here, we’ll continue to do that.”
Big shoes to fill on and off court
This charge became even more vital with the 2019 passing of Lewis Isaac, described as a “true hero” for his many decades of community service. Isaac championed more than a dozen Asheville organizations with a lifelong dedication to improving life for those in need. He was also a natural athlete who excelled at several sports. A fixture on the local tennis scene, he taught low-income kids at clinics, held ATA leadership positions and rubbed shoulders with top players at Asheville-hosted, back-to-back U.S. Fed Cups. With overwhelming community support, the City of Asheville named court No. 1—Isaac’s favorite—at the Aston Park Tennis Center in his memory.
To further honor Isaac’s legacy and raise awareness, ATA established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee to ensure everyone has the same opportunity to enjoy tennis and promote equality in play. In another key move, board members banded together to attend Building Bridges, a nine-week educational program to understand and combat racism in Asheville. “For us, it was a springboard to address social justice,” Hurley said. “The sessions weren’t always easy, but the experience really opened our eyes to see systemic racism in nearly every sector of society.”
Joyce and Hurley agree that those efforts in 2019 positioned ATA to address racial injustice issues that surged to the forefront during 2020. Voicing its commitment to equal opportunity in sport and society, ATA has pledged to put free racquets in the hands of children, support local African-American-owned businesses and stand with all people of color along the path toward social justice.
To this end, ATA partnered with Rec N Roll, Asheville Parks and Recreation's mobile initiative, to run tennis clinics this fall for youth in public housing areas and low-income neighborhoods. Parking lots doubled as courts for clinics, which used the Try Tennis Toolkits. Those attending learned fundamentals of the game and took home a free racquet and balls. The mutually beneficial partnership between ATA and Parks and Recreation was further strengthened as both organizations adapted to delivering programs during the pandemic.
Playing it forward
“We put 100-125 racquets in the hands of kids we wouldn’t have reached otherwise,” Joyce said. “While we’ve been frustrated by the continued restrictions caused by COVID-19, we feel incredibly fortunate to have found a way to put tennis in the forefront of our community.”
He describes one young man who attended three sessions. “He was the first one there and the last one to leave,” said Joyce, who made a surprise visit to the boy’s home to give him a toolkit. “He just lit up,” Joyce recalls. “This lets us know why we’re in this business.”
Long stigmatized as a “country club” sport, ATA is determined to show tennis can be enjoyed by everyone and for a low cost. Heather Sellers can attest: She discovered a new sport for her son and his friends after seeing a flyer for the Try Tennis Toolkit. And she’s grateful to the benefactors who wanted to share their love of tennis. “Because the toolkit is portable, I took it on a group camping trip with other families,” Sellers said. “A lot of the children had never picked up a racket before, but, thanks to the toolkit, now they have.”
By Olivia Maddox
Asheville Tennis Association recognized as RSI's Community Tennis Association of the Year
Asheville, N.C. (January 27, 2020) Since its founding in 1961, the Asheville Tennis Association has strived to be “one voice for Asheville tennis” by providing a culture that welcomes players of all ages and ability levels. The ATA offers a wide breadth of tennis programs and events, and advocates for the construction and improvement of public facilities. And its success is why the ATA is RSI's Community Tennis Association of the Year.
“We are proud of introducing the sport to many through our efforts of recruiting and leading volunteers at two Fed Cup ties, conducting ACEing Autism and Special Olympics clinics, and especially our Try Tennis Kit initiative during 2020,” says ATA President Jeff Joyce. The ATA provided Try Tennis Kits to 75 under- served families so that they could have fun playing driveway tennis during the pandemic. Continuing ATA initiatives include free and low-cost clinics for youth, affordable adult clinics, Sunday match play for middle school kids, adult tennis socials and online tennis ladders.
By Judy Leand, Racquet Sports Industry Magazine
All award winners are available in the magazine’s January 2021 issue.