CATA's fundraising success will help bring indoor courts to area

A lifelong love of tennis and the strong showing of support from local players has prompted Shawn McNally to include an indoor tennis facility with the construction of the Southeast Sports and Fitness Center.

After a fundraising drive that began in October by the Cape Area Tennis Association netted $59,800 toward the building of the $275,000 Southeast Missouri Indoor Tennis Center, McNally has proceeded on plans for the new two-court facility. In addition to the 40,000-square-foot fitness facility that will include an indoor pool, gymnastics center, dance studio, two indoor soccer courts and a fitness center, a second 30,000-square-foot building will house two tennis courts, with the option of adding a third court in the future.

Groundbreaking for the tennis center, which will be located about one-half mile north of the Jackson water tower, is set for mid-March, and McNally hopes to open on Oct. 1.

McNally, who operates Class Act Gymnastics, grew up in a sports-oriented family. His father was a member of U.S. national soccer team and played tennis throughout high school, as did his brother. His father is currently a college coach and is serving as an adviser for the soccer part of the facility.

"I personally enjoy playing," McNally said. "I'm not a great player. I'm an average player, but I want to teach kids how to play."

McNally's desire to teach kids the game of tennis had him planning on building one tennis court even without the funding and support from CATA, but the addition of an extra court could draw even more people to the complex.

"We are just simply trying to serve as many different people as we can," McNally said. "And I hope some who don't play tennis will pick up the game.

"If parents are sitting around waiting to pick up there child from gymnastics or one of the other events, maybe they get bored and rather than read a newspaper or magazine, they decide to play a game of tennis."

With this goal of attracting new players, the tennis center will not charge an annual membership fee. Players can pay as they use the courts. This is unusual for tennis facilities, most of which only allow members to play.

"The closest indoor facility is in Paducah [Ky.]," McNally said. "If you called them up and wanted to play a game, you can't unless you are a member. Here, if you wanted to reserve a court, you can just call us and set it up."

Individuals who have a membership with the fitness center will receive discounts at the tennis center, McNally said, to help benefit those who play more often.

The CATA fundraising drive offered incentives for donations toward the center. For a $1,000 donation, a player received a year's worth of free play; $2,000 equaled two years and so on. A donation of $10,000 garnered an individual a lifetime of tennis, and a $25,000 donation included a lifetime of tennis for four.

Al Mitchener, CATA chairman, said the group has 49 or 50 of its nearly 100 members signed up for the complimentary play in the first year.

Mitchener said other members were cautious about investing without seeing progress on the facility, so the organization is extending the "investment program" until its annual meeting in May.