Harold & Betty Haak Tennis Complex
Tennis is returning to Fresno Pacific University, thanks to the effort and generosity of faculty, staff and friends.
Construction will begin later this month on the Harold and Betty Haak Tennis Complex, a group of six competition-level courts and one practice court. The courts will be dedicated October 1 during the 2004 Homecoming celebration. The late Harold Haak was president of FPU from 2000 to 2003, and Betty continues to support the university.
The courts are a $500,000 part of the ongoing $5 million athletic complex. Cockerham Track and Ramirez Soccer Field are already completed, and plans call for stands, a fan recreation area, a press box and a baseball field.
“The Haak Tennis Complex is one part, one important part, of FPU’s vision for athletics in the 21st century,” said new Athletic Director Dennis Janzen.
Students, faculty, staff and the community will be able to use the courts for recreation and competition. Physical education classes and intramural tennis will be organized, along with matches against other schools at the club level.
The university also plans to add men’s and women’s tennis to the roster of Sunbird sports in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The courts will also be open for informal play, with lights on timers to expand operating hours.
“One of the exciting things about tennis is that it is a lifelong activity,” said Bud Dickerson, director of major gifts and capital campaigns.
The university is working with the U.S. Tennis Association to sanction the courts for tournaments, clinics and other events. “These courts are part of our involvement in the community,” Janzen said. “Many people worked hard to make them happen, and we want to share our blessings.”
Significant donors for the project came from the campus and community. They include: Associated Students of Fresno Pacific, Paul and Sherri Evert, Dick and Lillian Falls, Glenn Ikawa, Dennis and Jeanne Janzen, Dick and Althea Johanson, Peter and Nancy Klassen, Don and Marilyn Nachtigall, Vern and Hedy Pletz, Larry and June Shehadey, Marvin and Nadene Steinert, Frank and Sherry Vargas, Jim and Yvonne Wood, Muriel Wood and Glen and Peggy Zimmerman.
Fresno Pacific University offers undergraduate and graduate programs that stress solid academic preparation and a strong ethical foundation. Each year more than 2,000 traditional and adult students attend classes on the 42-acre main campus in southeast Fresno or centers in Visalia and Bakersfield. The university also reaches 12,000 students across the nation and around the world through professional development studies programs. The only four-year Christian university in the Central Valley, FPU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and considered a best value among Western universities—master’s category by U.S. News & World Report.
For information contact:
Wayne Steffen
559-453-3677
wsteffen@fresno.edu
Diana Bates Mock
559-453-5505
dbmock@fresno.edu
