By David Hamrick
GA! Taylor, tell us a little about your family, and how you came to Gastonia-welcome by the way!
Taylor: Thank you, it’s great to be here! Well, we have my better half Elke, myself and our precious little girl Thalia. In a nutshell, we came to Gastonia to take a great club and turn it into something exceptional. We really fell in love with the local community and the people of the area, found some great schools and knew this was the place we had to be.
GA! The club is looking great! How did you end up at Southampton?
Taylor: We had been looking at several different clubs in different states
but had focused on this particular club quite early on in that process. The unique physical layout of the grounds is what attracted us first. Must clubs have tennis courts lined up in a row, and this was the first we saw that staggered them out over a hillside, which makes for a beautiful setup. The pool
was the icing on the cake.
GA!: I know you offer swimming and tennis programs- tell us about the swimming program…
Taylor: From Memorial Day to Labor Day the pool is the center of attention for Southampton, and the highlight for the kids is our “Seagulls Swim Team” which consists of private lessons, practices, meets and championships. It’s a little bit of chaos, but for the kids it means everything to them and creates lasting memories. The pool really is a club unto itself. The camaraderie, friendships and sense of community the parents and children get really makes this their favorite time of year.
GA! Do you have summer camps, and/or is it too late to sign up for tennis or swim leagues or teams?
Taylor: We sure do, and it’s not too late to sign up. Open to all membe
rs and non-members for an increased fee; the camps are a great way to keep y
our young ones fit and in top shape this summer. Camps are a week long Monday thru Thursday with Friday being rain make up days. The camps run from 9-12 in the morning and consist of 2 hours of quality tennis instruction and 1 hour of swim fitness. We promise they will be worn out by the end of the day! We also offer summer high school camps/clinics and 45 minute intro tennis camps for the younglings.
GA! I know your wife Elke was a ranked tennis player, and the tennis programs are absolutely humming…
Taylor: No doubt about it, Elke is the heart and soul of the tennis side of the club. While her world rankings are impressive it’s is really her ability to connect with tennis players and pass along the excitement and enthusiasm for the game that is her greatest strength. In less than a year’s time she’s created a robust juniors program with private lessons, clinics and tournaments and is attracting some of the counties brightest young players. From first timers, to the most advanced players, young to the most experienced, she’s got them all improving their game and playing bette
r tennis, more often.
GA! Memberships are still available, is that right? How does that work?
Taylor: They sure are. Eventually memberships will be capped, so now is the best time to join. We have three different types of memberships, Full, Tennis Only and Pool Only. I would advise potential members to browse through our website www.southamptonclub.com to see all that we offer here. If it’s something they might want to pursue then the next step would be to call the clubhouse and set up a private tour.
GA! Regarding memberships, are there any specials right now?
Taylor: This spring we’ve been running a half off initiation special which really makes joining a private club much more accessible. This will be good through the end of spring as we fill out the memberships.
Southampton Racquet & Swim Club
2813 Kendrick Road, Gastonia, NC 29056
Club 704-867-8081
www.southamptonclub.com
