NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A middle school tennis coach thinks it's about time his students have real courts on which to practice and play.
For six years, the students in Margaret Allen Middle School's after-school tennis program have learned the sport in the bus lane.
Their coach, Andy Mizell, who has also taught ESL at the school for 14 years, is raising money to put permanent courts on school property.
Mizell estimates it will take about $325,000 to put in permanent courts on school grounds.
Over the years, many generous people, including country club members at Hillwood Country Club and Richland Country Club have donated rackets, nets and tennis balls to their school program. Without the donations, the program may not have survived. The coach is hopeful that people will chip in to this fundraiser.
"Not everybody has an easy school life, so being able to go to that extremely positive tennis environment... I just want them to be able to hold on to that and never let it go," Mizell said.
So far, Mizell has secured a USTA National Facilities Assistance Grant to pay for some of the court project.
Donors can either give to the project's GoFundMe campaign or send a check to USTA Tennessee's ACE Foundation and put 'Margaret Allen Tennis Courts Project' in the memo line. The address for that foundation is 220 Athens Way, Suite #110, Nashville, TN 37228.
