JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Oct. 21, 2019 – Today, the Charles H. Williams Family YMCA celebrated the grand opening of its tennis complex renovation project with a special ceremony. The new tennis complex at the Williams Family Y now has an all-new youth tennis program through Net Generation, nine new full-sized tennis courts and a viewing gazebo.
“The Williams Family branch is one of only three Y’s in Florida that offers a tennis program,” said YMCA of Florida’s First Coast President and CEO Eric Mann. “The Y’s priority is to turn a traditionally elite sport into an accessible and all-inclusive way for families to come together across Northeast Florida.”
About 100 guests and Y members gathered together on the new courts to celebrate the new facility and hear remarks from CEO Eric Mann, CFO Penny Zuber, District Executive Director Charlie Chacos, Williams Y Tennis Director John Dister, Vice President of Operations Joseph Crawford, Lana Somers and Allison Hollander, members of Williams YMCA Board and Tennis Capital Campaign committee.
“Enhancing our facilities allow us to develop new programming for our youth and promote healthy active lifestyles at all ages, while serving even more members of our North East Florida community,” said Charlie Chacos, District Executive Director of the First Coast YMCA. “Our tennis program provides children with friendship, leadership skills, healthy lifestyles and the chance to discover a new-found passion. We are grateful to our sponsors for the opportunity to make this special addition to the Mandarin community.”
The Net Generation, an initiative started by the United States Tennis Association (USTA), is designed to empower children of all ages to develop skills at a pace suitable for each individual. The Williams Y’s innovative racquet sports facility supports this vision for the USTA by encouraging kids to adapt new skills.
The Y ensures every individual has access to the essentials necessary to learn, thrive and grow. Enhancing the facility will serve even more members of the Mandarin community and promote healthy lifestyles at all ages.
For more information about the Williams Family YMCA tennis program, please visit https://fcymca.org/locations/williams-family-ymca/williams-tennis/.
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The Y
For more than 110 years, YMCA of Florida’s First Coast has been providing men, women and children of all ages, and from all walks of life, opportunities to build stronger bonds, live healthy and become more engaged with their communities. Learn more: www.fcymca.org.
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