Shirley C. Taylor

Garden City, SC

Inducted December 2015

SHIRLEY C. TAYLOR BEGAN PLAYING TENNIS AT THE AGE OF 40 AND DROVE 45 MINUTES FROM HER HOMETOWN OF JOHNSONVILLE TO FLORENCE TO TAKE LESSONS. SHE WON HER FIRST STATE CHAMPIONSHIP 8 YEARS LATER IN THE 45 SINGLES AND HAS CONTINUED AS ONE OF THE TOP SENIOR PLAYERS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE SOUTHERN SECTION EVERY YEAR SINCE.

SOME OF SHIRLEY’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE LISTED BELOW:

• RANKED #1 IN HER AGE DIVISION IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE SOUTHERN SECTION MANY YEARS, FROM THE 45’S TO THE 75’S AGE DIVISIONS
• PARTICIPATED ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA SENIOR CUB TEAM ALMOST EVERY YEAR SINCE SHE BACAME AGE ELIGIBLE, PLAYING BOTH SINGLES AND DOUBLES, WITH MANY TEAMS WINNING THE WOMEN’S AND OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE 9-STATE COMPETITION
• PLAYED ON NUMEROUS USTA SOUTHERN INTERSECTIONAL TEAMS IN NATIONAL COMPETITION
• WON THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS OVER 20 YEARS INCLUDING SINGLES, DOUBLES, MIXED DOUBLES AND MOTHER/DAUGHTER DOUBLES
• WON OVER 25 SOUTHERN CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SINGLES, DOUBLES AND MIXED DOUBLES
• HAS BEEN RANKED NATIONALLY AND HAS A WIN OVER THE NUMBER 1 SINGLES PLAYER IN BERMUDA AT THE CORAL BEACH AND TENNIS CLUB
• RECEIVED THE 1988 GRAND STRAND TENNIS ASSOCIATION PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
• NAMED USTA SOUTH CAROLINA ADULT FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2 TIMES, IN 1995 AND 2010
• KNOWN AS AN EXCELLENT SPORTSMAN AND HAS RECEIVED SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS AT SEVERAL TOURNAMENTS
• RECEIVED A SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD FROM THE GRAND STRAND TENNIS ASSOCIATION

SHIRLEY’S LOVE OF TENNIS AND COMMUNITY WAS EVIDENCED BY HER EFFORTS TO REOPEN THE WELLMAN TENNIS CLUB IN JOHNSONVILLE WHERE SHE WORKED EVERY DAY FOR OVER A YEAR TO RESTORE THE CLAY COURTS AND GROW THE MEMBERSHIP. SHE WAS PRESENTED A SPECIAL APPRECIATION AWARD BY THE COMMUNITY OF JOHNSONVILLE.