Parks Home | Calendar | Facilities | Arts & Cultural Affairs | Athletics - Youth | Athletics - Adult | Aquatics Golf  | Gymnastics | Natural Resources | Recreation Centers | Tennis | Therapeutics | Special Events

May 2009

National Open Tennis Tournament to be Held at Harrison Tennis Center

Cobb County will once again play host to the USTA National Open for boys and girls ages 16 and under.  The event will be held at Harrison Tennis Center on May 16-20, 2009.  This event attracts many of the top players from around the country. Past participants include several players that are currently playing on the professional tour. The draw will comprise of 64 boys and 64 girls who are nationally ranked. The competition will begin on Saturday morning with the singles events. Doubles will begin late Saturday afternoon. The tournament will continue through Wednesday, May 20, when many of the finals are held. If you want to see some of our nation’s best young players, come out to Harrison Tennis Center during this event. You can keep up with the tournament draw on the tournament web site.   Many of Cobb's best players will be competing - come out and support our tennis best!!!!

The Front Row Summer Edition is Now Available Online

The Summer issue of the 'Front Row' magazine is now available online. This issue includes summer camp and program registration information. The Front Row is your resource for all program and facility information for Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Please note that this issue is available online only. To download the magazine, go to the 'Downloads' page of the parks website.

Adult Summer Basketball Registration

Summer adult basketball is just around the corner. Leagues will be offered at Fullers Recreation Center at Fullers Park, Ward Recreation Center at Lost Mountain Park, and the Ron Anderson Recreation Center at Wild Horse Creek Park. Registration for returning teams will be Monday, May 11th from 6:00-7:30pm at the Parks and Recreation administrative offices (1792 County Services Parkway, Marietta 30008). New teams may register Thursday, May 14th from 6:00-7:30pm also at the Parks and Recreation administrative offices. The league fee is $240 which includes a 7 game season and post season tournament. For more information, visit our website or contact Andrea Raiford (Fullers) at (770) 591-3160, Kim Cammons (Ward) at (770) 528-8890, or Jeff Abrams (Ron Anderson) at (770) 528-8816.

Outdoor Pools Opening This Month

The outdoor pools are currently being spruced up to open Saturday, May 23, Memorial Day weekend. Cobb has two outdoor pools available for summer fun – Sewell Park Pool and Powder Springs Pool. Pool hours are 1:00pm–6:00pm, Tuesday–Sunday. The pools are closed on Mondays, except for Memorial Day, when the pools will be open from 1:00pm-6:00pm. For more information regarding the pools, see our website.

Tennis Courts Scheduled for Refurbishing
Several of Cobb's tennis courts are slated for refurbishing in the coming months. Nickajack Park's 4 tennis courts will be completely reconstructed and will have new lights and light poles. These courts were in some of the worst condition of Cobb's 122 courts and will become new again later this summer.  Work will begin in the coming weeks and should take 2-3 months to complete.  Other facilities in line for resurfacing this summer include Oregon Park, Larry Bell Park, Shaw Park, and Fullers Park. The funding for refurbishing these facilities comes from the lease of cell phone towers located in the parks system. 

Also, several Cobb tennis facilities will have QuickStart lines painted on them for providing mini-courts for youth players. Each of the 6 Cobb tennis centers, Fullers Park and Wild Horse Creek Park will have at least 2 courts painted.  These courts will be used for youth instruction and league play. The lines will be colored at a slightly lighter or darker shade from the base color, so as not to interfere with the regular lines for normal tennis play. The funding for this project is being provided by the United States Tennis Association. (USTA).

Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre 2009 Concert Series
Tickets are on sale now for summer concerts at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre.  Many top artists will be performing in 2009.  The concert schedule is as follows:

Tickets for individual shows range from $15 to $55. Four-person tables in front of the stage are available for $350 per show. The Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre is located at 5239 Floyd Road in Mableton. To buy tickets, call the box office at (770) 819-7765, visit the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre box office in Marietta or go to mablehouse.org.

Sweetwater Tennis Center to Host Tennis Professional Workshop
The Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) International Certification Workshop is the industry leader in professional tennis teaching. Sweetwater Tennis Center will be hosting the workshop that is available to all tennis teaching professionals. The workshop is conducted primarily on court with emphasis on the fundamentals of teaching group lessons, the development of sound strokes, error detection and corrective techniques, and the logistics of organizing group drills. The 10 hour course prepares members for the five part certification exam. Certification testing will be administered at the conclusion of the workshop. Current PTR members are encouraged to retest at this time to upgrade their rating. The workshop is $95. To register call 800-421-6289 or visit www.ptrtennis.org.

New Tennis Programs at Fair Oaks Tennis Center

New facility manager Wayne Miller is starting up new programs at Fair Oaks Tennis Center. For more detailed information, contact Fair Oaks at (770) 528-8480 or see web site.

Future Stars – Pre League Academy - Starting in May the 'Future Stars – Pre League Academy' will begin. This is a year-round academy that meets once a week for one and one-half hours each week. This program is designed for the player who has completed the advanced beginner classes and wants to begin playing competitive tennis. The focus of this program is to get the players ready to play on junior ALTA or USTA league teams. We want to have enough kids ready for league play by the fall ALTA season to form teams at all age groups. The cost is $65 per six week session.

Tuesday Morning Round Robins - Meets every Tuesday morning from 9:00am–11:00am. Open to anyone who wants to play on a Tuesday morning.  The fee to participate is $3.00 per person ($2.00 for seniors 60+).

Cobb Area Horseshoe League

Did you know that there is a horseshoe league in Cobb County?  Probably not - the Cobb Area Horseshoe League has been in existence for 28 years at the horseshoe courts in Larry Bell Park, but very few know about it.  Their membership has varied from 4 to 10 players, but are looking to grow.  They are always looking for new members of all skill levels and experience.

The Cobb Area Horseshoe League is beginning play April 30th and competes every Thursday at 5:30pm.  The league competes through-out the summer through September.  Play is at Larry Bell Park, located at 592 Fairground Street, Marietta 30060 (Courts are on Glover St. near Fairground).  All skill levels welcome.  Participation is free.  For information, contact Dennis Hajek at (770) 992-8422 or email dennyhajek@yahoo.com.

Volunteers Wanted
The Natural Resource Management Unit is looking for a few good volunteers.  Opportunities include working with scouts, schools, trail maintenance, gardening and habitat improvements.  Contact Kaye Wilson at (770) 528-8824 or Kaye.Wilson@cobbcounty.org for more information. 

Ron Anderson Recreation Center is looking for positive and energetic role models to enhance the lives of our youth in the community. Come to Ron Anderson Recreation Center and sign up today. Contact Tiffani Ephrom or Leslie Walker, Jr. at (770) 439-3611.

Therapeutic Program News
Congratulations to the Cobb County Therapeutic Recreation Services Unit for being nominated for The Galaxy Award for Outstanding Program 2009 Galaxy of Stars - Shining Bright for all to see. Pictured is TRS Program Coordinator Tina Mitchell (center) accepting the nominee plaque.

Earth Day at Sweetwater Park - Therapeutic Recreation Services collaborated with Keep Cobb Beautiful to beautify Sweetwater Park by planting 8 trees in the front of the park and picking up the trash on April 17. Don't forget to drive by and see the beautiful work completed by Special Populations Adults.