CBA Tennis Community Gathers to ‘Close Out the Match’
On June 12, over 30 members of the Christian Brothers Academy tennis community joined Br. Frank Byrne ’75 and Coach John O’Shea for the Close Out the Match Fundraiser in support of the O’Shea – Martin Tennis Pavilion.
Those who came had the opportunity to meet or reminisce with New Jersey and CBA tennis legend John O’Shea at perhaps the finest tennis facility around. In his remarks, Coach O’Shea paid tribute to his equally legendary assistant coach, Brother Patrick Martin.
Alumni, parents and current student athletes competed in a friendly round robin competition on the grass courts at the Seabright Lawn Tennis & Cricket Club, while spectators enjoyed a glass of the club’s famous half & half drink and light fare. This historic club, founded in 1877, is home to 16 of the best grass courts in the country and is credited as the oldest lawn tennis and cricket club in the country.
“The fundraiser was very successful,” said host and tennis committee co-chair, Mark Sullivan ’79. “We are currently over $460,000 towards our goal of $500,000 to build the O’Shea-Martin Tennis Pavilion and completely renovate the tennis facility.”
Named in honor of Coaches O’Shea and Martin, the new pavilionwill feature a record board, shaded benches and Adirondack chairs for spectators, and dedicated a parking area. A mid-court platform will provide parents, teammates and friends a unique viewing experience like nowhere else in the Shore Conference.
CBA looks forward to welcoming Colts fans to campus in the near future to dedicate this facility in honor of two remarkable individuals. A special thank you to everyone in the CBA community who have already contributed toward the project!
Have a question about how you can participate in this effort to create a premier high school tennis facility? Contact the CBA Advancement Office via email at advancement@cbalicroftnj.org or at (732) 747-1959 ext. 223 to learn more about donor and volunteer opportunities.