Lack of participation caused a minor fault for the Southern University women’s tennis team when their fundraising event was canceled Friday.
The “Sizzlin’ Summer Adult Tennis Mixer” was planned to be a fun tennis night were participants play mixed doubles (32 draw), interact with the community and also help the Lady Jaguars raise money for their program.
The money raised from the event was to help fund the team’s equipment, apparel, and fall tournaments. Women’s tennis coach Jeffery Conyers said that the program basically survives off the numerous fundraises that helps the team cut down its budget.
Conyers and his assistant coach, Dr. Ojo Thompson, plan to reschedule the mixer during the dates that the weather is a bit cooler and fit to play tennis.
Even though budget cuts is not the reason for the event being canceled, Conyers said, that he is talking to the athletic director about the status of the teams budget, which if affected the team’s traveling will be limited.
The women’s tennis team still has other fundraising ventures like the Jaguar Family and Friends Campaign, which they target alumni chapters and friends from the team member’s hometown to help support the program. Through this effort the team received support from alumni chapter in Seattle, Wash. and the Hampton Roads, Va.
“With those two chapters and all other fundraising efforts that we have, we’ll be able play those fall tournaments, upgrade, and also give the team some more of that championship vision to get those five star recruits into Southern University. ”
Despite the cancellation of the fundraiser, the Lady Jaguars future looks to be a bright one as they qualified to be Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team.
According to ITA, The ITA All-Academic Team award is open to any ITA program that has a cumulative team grade point average of 3.20 or above (on a 4.00 scale). All eligible student-athletes whose names appear on the NCAA/National Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)/National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) eligibility form and have competed in one or more varsity matches must average into the GPA for the current academic year (including fall 2009 and spring 2010).
Conyers said that the team has always had good academic but this is the first time the team has gain all-American academic honors from the ITA. “That’s a very good accomplishment because we tend to concentrate on the academic part of the game.”
After winning the 2010 SWAC Women’s Tennis Champion the Lady Jaguars focus on competing for the 2010 HBCU National Champion in Atlanta, Ga., which the Lady Jaguars won the team event in 2009.
The team has already begun their two month training session which usually starts in the beginning September until the end of October. “Just with that first practice I saw the girls still have that intensity and the want to win another champion,” Conyers said.
Categories:
Tennis Mixer Cancelled
August 30, 2010
0