The Elk City Tennis Association was recognized earlier this month at the Oklahoma District Tennis Association Awards Celebration and Hall of Fame Induction.
Each year the ODTA recognizes individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to Oklahoma tennis.
This year’s inaugural event was held at the Jim Thorpe Association Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. The 2011 Hall of Fame Inductees were Mark Johnson, Glen Mullins, Meredith Geiger Walton, Janet Thomas Griffith, and Betsy, Joe and Rob Braver.
The award is based on a community’s tennis accomplishment for the 2011 year.
Several awards were given to various events and people involved in large cities such as Oklahoma City and Tulsa where there are larger and indoor tennis facilities. It is quite an accomplishment for a small town to be given such an award.
The ECTA’s accomplishments for 2011 year included a two-week ten and under quickstart tennis camp that was held during the last week of May and first week of June. One hundred students participated in the camp.
A junior high/high school day/evening camp had 25 participants. The guest instructor this year was former Elk City native, Chuck Bison, who won state in doubles. The previous year the guest instructor was Blake Starkey, former University of Missouri Women’s tennis coach. The camp leads into the ECTA/USTA/ODTA sanctioned junior tennis tournament called the Elk City Junior Open. Junior athletes from Oklahoma, Texas, and as far away as Wisconsin and Illinois played in the tournament.
The ECTA awards 2 senior tennis players each with a $250 college scholarship
The ECTA was fundamental in the process of getting twelve out-of-date tennis courts repaired and resurfaced at Elk City High School, Rotary Park and Ackley Park.
A donation of $20,000 from RPC, Inc. as well as donations from the Elk City All-Sports Association, Elk City Public Schools and the City of Elk City made the resurfacing possible. The courts were resurfaced and nets were replaced this past fall.
There were several members of the association in attendance at the ODTA banquet that need to be recognized for not only this past year’s efforts but also for rebuilding tennis in Elk City the past several years.
Danny Laufer - Danny coached the tennis and summer youth program in Elk City for 30 years and is still an active member of the Elk City Tennis Association. Danny has coached four state champions.
Gina Curtis - Gina is the present Elk City High School tennis coach. Coach Curtis is respected and loved among all of the kids. She is the former junior high tennis coach and is also an active member of the Elk City Tennis Association.
Jason Scheck - Jason is the current Elk City High School football coach and former Elk City High School tennis coach.
Coach Scheck and Coach Curtis have been instrumental in building one of the largest summer youth programs in the state of Oklahoma. Coach Scheck and Coach Curtis have also been instrumental to the success of the Elk City Junior Open, which is a United States Tennis Association sanctioned tournament.
Joni McConnell - Joni is a former two-time singles state champion from Elk City, a former University of Missouri tennis player, and chairperson of the Elk City Tennis Association.
Joni has worked endless hours which have also led to the success of the Elk City Tennis Association. This includes being the tournament director of the annual Elk City Junior Open, establishing college scholarships for graduating seniors active in Elk City High School tennis, establishing spring and fall tennis leagues for adults in the Elk City community, and helping update the tennis courts in Elk City.
Joni, chairman of the Elk City Tennis Association, stated that she would also like to thank RPC, Inc., the City of Elk City, and Elk City Schools Superintendent, Buddy Wood, for their support of tennis in Elk City.
“We are grateful and thankful for this honor the Oklahoma Tennis Association has bestowed upon us,” she said.
McConnell stated that she encourages all local citizens to take up the game of tennis.
“Tennis is a game that we can all do to improve our quality of life, physical fitness, and relationships with friends and family,” she said.
The ECTA would like to invite everyone in the community to take part in the junior and adult tennis activities this upcoming spring and summer. Contact Joni McConnell at 799-1703 for more information.