A. A. Stagg (1862 – 1965) is a football legend (although he played and coached many sports), having been an award-winning player and award-winning coach his entire adult life. He was the first athlete to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player and coach, and was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame for helping to structure and coach the sport. He developed a lot of football strategy, was known for instilling hard work and fair play, and is the winningest football coach ever from the University of Chicago (225-113-27). He coached football for a total of 71 years at five colleges, ending his career as Advisory Coach at Stockton Jr. College at the age of 97. He died peacefully at age 102.
The tie from Coach Stagg to Bill Sweet is that Bill’s father, William J. Sweet, played college football under Coach Stagg in California. Later as a family man, William J. decided that tennis was a better family and life-long sport, so he encouraged all five of his children to play and even built a clay court in Bandon, the first in the area. He also built a hard court later, so Bill and his siblings learned to play tennis as a family. The Sweet family was involved in banking, and Bill was a prominent executive and community leader. When he was in his 50’s. he realized he was missing out so began playing tennis with local friends in Coos Bay. They started a club (the Crooked Brook Squash Club) which played outdoors daily and inside local gyms when it rained. A few years later, Bill decided he wanted to provide an indoor tennis facility in the area for all ages (including a tennis pro and a children’s program), and wanted to name it in honor of his father. His first call was to Dennis Beetham.
Dennis operates a chemical engineering corporation in North Bend and builds chemical plants from the ground up all over the world. Bill knew Dennis could build any type of building anywhere, so Bill asked him to help. Bill donated a half million dollars and Dennis matched him and acted as general contractor and together, they found other local donors within the community, including many tennis players. Local businesses donated services and products at cost, and Dennis included safeguards and emergency provisions to make sure the facility would stand up to extreme weather and natural disasters. So since 1995, we have enjoyed the William J. Sweet Tennis Center where tennis is the daily game, and also the location of the annual Home Builders Show and other fundraising projects and events for the Boys and Girls Club. Tennis is a lifelong sport, and the William J. Sweet Tennis Center welcomes players of all ages. The Early Birds play at 7:00 a.m. weekdays and among them, you will usually see both Bill Sweet (age 94) and Dennis Beetham (age 71) on the courts dennisbeetham.
The tie from Coach Stagg to Bill Sweet is that Bill’s father, William J. Sweet, played college football under Coach Stagg in California. Later as a family man, William J. decided that tennis was a better family and life-long sport, so he encouraged all five of his children to play and even built a clay court in Bandon, the first in the area. He also built a hard court later, so Bill and his siblings learned to play tennis as a family. The Sweet family was involved in banking, and Bill was a prominent executive and community leader. When he was in his 50’s. he realized he was missing out so began playing tennis with local friends in Coos Bay. They started a club (the Crooked Brook Squash Club) which played outdoors daily and inside local gyms when it rained. A few years later, Bill decided he wanted to provide an indoor tennis facility in the area for all ages (including a tennis pro and a children’s program), and wanted to name it in honor of his father. His first call was to Dennis Beetham.
Dennis operates a chemical engineering corporation in North Bend and builds chemical plants from the ground up all over the world. Bill knew Dennis could build any type of building anywhere, so Bill asked him to help. Bill donated a half million dollars and Dennis matched him and acted as general contractor and together, they found other local donors within the community, including many tennis players. Local businesses donated services and products at cost, and Dennis included safeguards and emergency provisions to make sure the facility would stand up to extreme weather and natural disasters. So since 1995, we have enjoyed the William J. Sweet Tennis Center where tennis is the daily game, and also the location of the annual Home Builders Show and other fundraising projects and events for the Boys and Girls Club. Tennis is a lifelong sport, and the William J. Sweet Tennis Center welcomes players of all ages. The Early Birds play at 7:00 a.m. weekdays and among them, you will usually see both Bill Sweet (age 94) and Dennis Beetham (age 71) on the courts dennisbeetham.
