Episcopal School of Jacksonville celebrated the groundbreaking of a new six-court beach volleyball complex on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at the Knight Sports campus.
Shovels were put in the ground and The Rev. Adam Greene, head of the Episcopal School of Jacksonville, and Andy Kidd, director of athletics, thanked donors Stephanie and Mark Chesser and Matt and Shannon Connell of Conser Moving and Storage for providing the lead gift for the project. The facility will be named Conser Beach Volleyball Center.
“We feel very blessed to be able to do this,” said Mark Chesser. “All of us are blessed to have the opportunity to be at Episcopal, and we are grateful to the administration for supporting beach volleyball.”
Kidd praised the committee, which formed over the summer, with the vision for beach volleyball and the new center.
“In a time of unprecedented challenges brought by the pandemic, it’s an amazing feat that a conversation we started in the summer has resulted in adding a new sport and this new facility in time to open for play in January, and it would not be possible without the work of the committee and the support of all of the donors,” he said.
Mark and Tyra Tutor named one of the six courts in honor of their daughters Thea (class of 2018) and Zoe (class of 2022). Parents Dwight and Christine Cooper asked their daughter Jordan (class of 2021) to identify two Episcopal employees to recognize who have made a positive impact on the ESJ community. Tonya Carter, Episcopal’s school nurse, and Deborah Harvey, Episcopal’s security guard, were both present as Greene announced the courts named for them.
The site for Conser Beach Volleyball Center is opposite the Knight Field House. The courts will be open for the spring season and the team will have its first game Feb. 22, 2021.
