Brookstone opens Mary Lynne Smisson Cumiskey Tennis Complex

Brookstone girls tennis coach Mary Lynne Cumiskey fought her emotions at the school on Tuesday. But for the crowd that gathered to see Cumiskey’s and the school’s latest big moment, the tears were well-earned and easily forgivable.

Brookstone held a ribbon cutting for the Mary Lynne Smisson Cumiskey Tennis Complex on Tuesday afternoon. The ceremony was a celebration of the $2 million project which includes 10 tennis courts as well as a walkway that leads into the complex and continues along one side of the courts.

The project initially began in 2004 before pitfalls and hurdles came into play. For Cumiskey, the wait still proved well worth it.

“Look at this place,” Cumiskey told the crowd. “This is like a fairy land. It’s beautiful. There have been many times that I’ve pinched myself just to make sure that this was real.”

Cumiskey recounted the first time she walked out to the construction area with Brookstone servant leadership assistant Cindy Sparks, who Cumiskey credited for putting the ceremony together. As the trucks levelled the ground and dirt began piling up, the two felt the complex would eventually be a sight to see.

Seeing it all come together still proved to take the longtime head coach’s breath away.

“We knew at the time it would be something special, but not quite like this,” Cumiskey said. “This is spectacular.”

Cumiskey was particularly proud of 11 of the lamp posts stationed around the facility, one for every state championship her girls have won during her 37 years at Brookstone. Cumiskey, who graduated from Brookstone in 1976 and was a letterwinner at Georgia in 1979 and 1980, explained that those 11 posts and the banners hung on each one act as welcome signs to the alumni.

“I love knowing that when past players come, they know they’ve had a part in this as well,” Cumiskey said. “We’re so proud of our traditions here and our tennis programs. I love the way it’s displayed, and it should be because they’ve worked really hard.”

The atmosphere of Tuesday’s ceremony felt a lot like a family reunion. Former classmates got together and talked, while relatives grouped together for photos with old friends.

Most of those in attendance had some connection to Cumiskey, which only made addressing the audience that much harder.

Though their involvement and support was something that did not go unnoticed by Cumiskey. In fact, it made the whole event that much sweeter.

“Every person here has touched my heart in some way, be it a classmate, an old tennis friend, a tennis professional, a parent or a past player,” Cumiskey said. “Everyone here has touched me in some way.

“It’s a dream come true.”

This story was originally published February 14, 2017 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Brookstone opens Mary Lynne Smisson Cumiskey Tennis Complex."