A ribbon cutting on Saturday, Oct. 2, for the Kossover Family Tennis Complex celebrates the vision of two former ESU student-athletes to build the first indoor tennis complex in the MIAA.
Greg Kossover and Ken Hush, tennis student-athletes at Emporia State during the 1980s, made the lead gifts that inspired dozens of additional investors to become involved in the building project, which was fully funded with private donations.
For Kossover, the new complex is a tribute to the additional family he found when he arrived at Emporia State.
“Like just about everyone else who enrolls at Emporia State, this place changed my life. Emporia and Emporia State became my home and my second family. This community took me in and made me feel welcomed and loved,” Kossover explained.
The complex includes four outdoor courts and a spacious patio, two indoor courts, a viewing deck, a student-athlete lounge, a coach’s office and locker rooms. It benefits the ESU men’s and women’s tennis teams by giving them access to an all-season facility and allowing opportunity to better themselves both on and off the court year round.
During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which begins at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, ESU tennis athletes will participate, Foundation Trustee Emeritus Gary Sherrer will read a proclamation from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, both Hush and Kossover will speak and former ESU Tennis Coach George Milton will hit the first serve.
The Kossover Family Tennis Complex is at the corner of 18th Avenue and Merchant Street, which is directly west of the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation building. Construction began in October 2020.