JIM TONEY

* JULY 4, 1985.  AW LED ME DOWN A NARROW PATH WITH DOZENS OF CARS PARKED NEARBY.    OPENING.  TENNIS COURT, POND, HOUSE AND POOL.   EVERY ONE HAD EITHER TENNIS RAQUET OR A BUD DRAFT FROM  RH BARRINGERS IN HAND.  SOFTLY, BETWEEN INTRODUCTIONS,  DR WHITE WHISPERED,  WE NEED YOU TO MANAGE THIS TOURNAMENT.  I ALMOST WENT BACK TO WILSON.

IT WAS A HAPPENING.   AND RAISED A TON OF $ FOR  TENNIS SCHOLARSHIPS AT  ELON.   J.POWELL WAS  THE $,   LACY HALL WAS THE PARTY, JERRY TOLLEY WAS THE  DESIGNER.

OVER MY EARLY YEARS  TWO THINGS THAT EMERGED WERE A DEEP FRIENDSHIP WITH JIM TONEY,  AND A REALIZATION THAT A MAJOR INCARCERATION WOULD LIKELY ACCOMPANY THE TSHF DOUBLES CLASSIC.

HOW CAN WE REDIRECT THE  EFFORTS AND POWER OF THIS GROUP?

THE JIMS,  POWELL AND TONEY AGREED  LETS FOCUS ON KIDS.

THUS BEGAN THE ALAMANCE JUNIOR TENNIS FOUNDATION.   AND A DEEPENING KNOWLEDGE OF JIM TONEY.

HE CALLED ME TOAMY.  WE NEED A PLAN.  YOU GOTTA HAVE A PLAN.  A GOAL.

WE ESTABLISHED THAT OVER DOZENS OF LUNCHES ( A VEGETABLE PLATE AT BAKATIAS), OFFICE MEETINGS, DISCUSSIONS AT MATCHES OR ON THE PHONE. 

OUR GOAL WAS HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS BETTERMENT.   HE BOUGHT MY SUGGESTION TO FOCUS ON TENNIS FACILITIES.    THERE IT WAS:   WE WON’T QUIT UNTIL ALL SIX HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE  GOOD COURTS. 

AS WE DEPARTED I REMEMBER THINKING,  “…IF I STAY HERE TEN YEARS I MAY SEE THIS COMPLETED.   IT TOOK ABOUT A YEAR.”

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THERE “TONEY SIGHTINGS”.    FROM JOE BARBOUR ( THE MAYOR ) , HAROLD OWEN ( RECREATION DIRECTOR ). AND  JOHN BOY WALTON ( DIRECTOR OF TENNIS ).

*COACH,  HE WAS WAITING IN MY OFFICE WHEN  I  GOT TO WORK.”

*HEY PARHAM, CAN YOU BACK YOUR BOY TONEY OFF A LITTLE?”

**TOM—I HEARD HE HAS MADE APPOINTMENTS WITH  THE SUPERINTENDENT,  ALL THE PRINCIPALS.    ADS, COACHES.   COMMUNITY LEADERS AND TENNIS PEOPLE.  GRANTS, MATCHING GIFTS.”

I SOON GOT A CALL FROM HAROLD AND JOE.    ESSENTIALLY THEY SAID  PARHAM YOU GOT THIS GOING.   WE MAY BUILD A CITY FACILITY AND WE WANT YOUR HELP.   SURE.   MORE  FUNDRAISING! 

ODDLY—NO MORE CALLS.    THEN I HEARD SOMEONE SAY IT LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING  WAS HAPPENING DOWNTOWN.  OK—THE CALLS WILL COME SOON.  NOTHING.  3 WKS LATER I’LL RIDE DOWN THERE AND SEE IF THE GROUND IS READY.   BURLINGTON TENNIS CENTER.   NEARLY DONE. 

 I LOOKED OVER AND THERE WAS TONEY.  HE SMILED.

THAT LASTED A  DAY.   I WANT TO DO CUMMINGS HIGH SCHOOL NEXT.  I WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE KIDS HAVE TENNIS.

SO, WE WANDER AROUND THERE, WALKING OFF THE AREA, WHAT NEEDED MAJOR REPAIR.   NEXT, THE WALKERS LED  WESTERN ALAMANCE. TO SIX  BEAUTIFUL COURTS AND GREAT TEAMS.   

“NOTHING LIKE THAT GONNA HAPPEN AT SOUTHERN!”   OH  YEAH?  TELL THAT TO ELANOR JOHNSON AND A MRS BONNIE MARROW WHO WRITES A 50K CHECK FOR  THE PATRIOTS TENNIS COURTS.

JOHN WALTON AND I SHOOK OUR HEADS IN AMAZEMENT.   IT WAS FRIDAY –WE WERE THROUGH. 

MONDAY AM —JOHN BOY.  Coach—you ain’t gonna believe this.    WE NEED MIDDLE SCHOOLS TEAMS.   ALL COME TO BTC  4 MATCHES AT A TIME.  INSTRUCTION.    COACH THERE IS NO MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY IN THE ENTIRE STATE.

THEY MADE  A GREAT PICTURE OF 85 KIDS AT MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS DAY.

 HOLD THAT THOUGHT AND BACK UP SOME 30 YEARS.   ROBERT AND TOM REGISTER HAVE BURST ON THE  JUNIOR TENNIS SCENE  IN A FLURY OF RACKET THROWS AND SALTY LANGUAGE.    AN ACKNOWLEDGED FINE  ADULT  PLAYER OFFERS TO PLAY WITH THEM.   ONE BROTHER SUGGESTS “…HAVE YOU NOTICED HE NEVERS SAYS ANYTHING BUT GOLLY PETE , TONEY,  WHEN HE MAKES AN ERROR?

“WISELY THEY AGREE TO ADAPT HIS POLICY.   ONLY “GOLLY PETE TONEY” FROM THE REGISTERS.   NOT ONLY THAT IT BECAME FAMILY VENACULAR USED IN BOTH ADULT HOMES.   SECOND NATURE.

FLASH BACK TO THAT OPENING MIDDLE SCHOOL DAY AS FATHER ROBERT TAKES MIDDLE SCHOOL DAUGHTER TO HER FIRST TENNIS DAY.    ROBERT WALKS ALEX UP TO THE COMMISIONER AND PROUDLY INTRODUCES ALEX TO MR. JIM TONEY.

AS THEY WALK AWAY ALEX ASKS HER DAD,  “…DADDY, IS THAT GOLLY PETE TONEY? 

THEY NAMED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTSMANSHIP  AWARD THE “GOLLY PETE TONEY “ AWARD”.  ALEX REGISTER WON THE FIRST ONE.