SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — It was a fall morning in 2021 when Kevin Comerford took a seat by the fireplace in the lobby of Hotel San Luis Obispo and ordered a cup of coffee. He was in town to visit his daughter who was attending Cal Poly.
"You're in my seat," Kevin heard from a man he had never met before, John Ronca, who just so happened to be the chair of the Cal Poly Athletic Director's Council and the Cal Poly Tennis Facility Steering Committee. The two shared a laugh and then a conversation ensued that would forever change the future of Cal Poly tennis.
"That was the most expensive cup of coffee I've ever paid for in my life," joked Comerford.
As the two got to talking, it became evident they both shared a love and passion for tennis and Cal Poly. Kevin, a Cal Poly alum, attempted to walk on to the men's tennis team during his time as a student and now plays nearly every day.
"I had such a phenomenal college experience as a student at Cal Poly ... that was the best five years someone could ask for," Comerford said. "I learned so much about leadership, mentorship and giving back."Carolyn and Kevin Comerford
Kevin and his wife Carolyn, who currently live in Northern California, are in the process of moving to San Luis Obispo and constructing a new home. When they began thinking about spending the rest of their lives in San Luis Obispo, the Comerford's knew they wanted to find ways to impact the local community, and it was in their talks with Ronca and his wife Tracy, that they realized helping Cal Poly tennis reach its highest potential would be a great way to benefit his alma mater for years to come.
"Carolyn and I wanted to make a difference in San Luis Obispo and one of the best ways to do that was to give to the university," Comerford added.
The Roncas and Comerfords continued to talk about how to do that and together with the help of the Cal Poly Athletics administration, they came up with the plan for the Comerford Pavilion, a state-of-the-art two-story tennis clubhouse. After the Comerfords committed to become the lead supporter, several other generous donors jumped on board to raise the remainder of the funds needed to fulfill the nearly $8 million dollar facility that is the cornerstone of the $10 million improvements to the Ronca Tennis Center.
Our goal was to provide Cal Poly men's and women's tennis programs with their own facility in which the student-athletes could play and practice tennis, study, build comradery, and truly make the Comerford Pavilion their home away from home. We believe we've accomplished that," said Ronca.
Construction of the facility began in April of 2023 and on Saturday, Nov. 2 all the planning, hard work, and building will be complete as Cal Poly officially unveils the state-of-the-art project in a ribbon cutting ceremony.
On the main floor, the Comerford Pavilion features a study lounge, a nutrition station, a team manager office to restring tennis racquets and store equipment, men's and women's locker rooms complete with a private locker for each player, restrooms and showers. On the top floor, there is fixed stadium seating overlooking the courts, a space for team meetings, coaches' offices, a conference room and a hospitality space. New NCAA-championship lighting was also installed that will allow for night matches.
Amy Leather, a redshirt sophomore on the Cal Poly women's tennis team, said the Comerford Pavilion has already brought the team closer together on and off the court. Leather said seeing all the support that made this facility a reality makes her feel extremely proud to be a Mustang.
"It makes me feel so honored to be a student-athlete at Cal Poly," she said. "I have always been told that it is the people that make Cal Poly as special as it is, and examples of such generosity like this just solidifies that for me. Knowing that there is a community of people that believe so passionately in the program that they are willing to invest so much time, money and effort into bringing this facility to life makes me feel so supported and lucky to be on this team. It is something I will never take for granted and gives me motivation to perform for Cal Poly the best way I can."
Sean Kamyshev, a sophomore on the Mustang men's team, echoed Leather's sentiments. Tracy and John Ronca"The Comerford Pavilion has transformed our program, offering us student-athletes amazing facilities that inspire and promote community engagement," he said about how it will help the program. "This facility reflects our commitment to improve, push our talent to the limit, elevate our competitive edge and creates a vibrant hub for tennis for years to come."
Both Cal Poly men's tennis head coach Nick Carless and Mustang women's head coach Ellie Edles Williams are excited for how this facility will immediately impact the current student-athletes and elevate their recruiting efforts.
"The new tennis facility is truly world-class," Carless said. "It significantly enhances the experience for both our student-athletes and fans. With state-of-the-art locker rooms, meeting spaces, nutrition stations, and conference rooms to review film, it transforms our recruiting, practices, and competitions. Thanks to the families that made the Comerford Pavilion a reality, the future of Cal Poly Tennis is so bright."
"The Comerford Pavilion has elevated our program to be one of the top facilities in our conference, if not the country," Williams said. "Future Mustangs will have the opportunity to have a home away from home and a training facility that will enhance their student-athlete experience. We have already seen the impacts of the building when it comes to recruiting and alumni engagement."
The facility will be one of the best in the country with amenities few college tennis programs have. For the Comerford's and Ronca's, their hopes are that this facility helps both programs become national contenders' year in and year out by giving the coaching staffs and student-athletes all the amenities they need to reach their highest potential.
"This is a massive step forward," Comerford said. "We really want the people in San Luis Obispo and at Cal Poly to have so much pride in the fact that we are one of top programs in the country when it comes to tennis."
"I get emotional thinking about it because it turned out exactly the way we envisioned it and subsequently designed it with the architects," Ronca said. "I'm proud of every inch of it because everything was done with a purpose. With the soaring roof line, second story seating and expansive viewing deck, you feel like you are in a tennis stadium. Comerford Pavilion has permanently defined this corner of campus as the center of the student-athlete experience."
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