When Mayor Toby Barker and other officials from the City of Hattiesburg initially set out to plan a ribbon cutting for the newly-renovated pickleball and tennis courts at Kamper Park, they assumed that it would be a standard event.
But after researching the measure, they realized that 30 years ago – on November 2, 1993 – members of Hattiesburg City Council voted to name the courts after local sports hero and community leader Bubba Phillips, which led them to make the ribbon cutting a little more special. On the 30th anniversary of that date, Barker was joined at the updated courts by other city officials and members of the Phillips family to cut the ribbon and rededicate the Bubba Phillips Tennis Complex.
“Today is special for a number of reasons,” Barker said. “Yes, we’re officially cutting the ribbon on a completely rebuilt tennis and pickleball facility; yes, we are continuing our investment in Kamper Park – the most iconic park in Hattiesburg – yes, we answered the call of our very vocal pickleball community about having some dedicated courts for them.
“But more than that, we are rededicating this facility in honor of John Melvin ‘Bubba’ Phillips. There are rare occasions when you get to bring ‘old’ Hattiesburg … together with the new and ever-changing Hattiesburg, for an event that leans back into our history and tells the story of who brought us here.”
The project involves 340,000 pounds of concrete and steel, along with 40 new LED lights. New netting and poles also have been installed, along with ramps that are in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.
The courts are free to use and are open seven days a week, from sunrise until 10 p.m. Court availability is based on a first-come, first-served use.
“These courts are practically … brand new courts,” said Sid Gonsoulin, who serves as construction manager for the city’s Parks and Recreation facilities. “The only thing that’s here from the old courts are the asphalt foundations.
“There’s about seven and a half inches of filler, and four and a half inches of solid concrete, with one-inch steel cables running through this every foot. That basically says that we’re going to have these courts for a long, long time – maybe for our lifetimes.”
Phillips was born in West Point and graduated from Macon High School, where he played football and softball. As a multi-sport athlete, he was awarded a full scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi, which was then known as Mississippi Southern College.
After a distinguished collegiate career in athletics, Phillips went on to play professional baseball for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Indians. Upon his retirement, he moved to Hattiesburg, where he spend much of his time teaching tennis to children and adults in the city through municipal programming.
He passed away on June 22, 1993.
“(This is in) honor of a great citizen of Hattiesburg, a great athlete and a great person,” said Billy Scruggs, who was a close friend of Phillips. “He was a great man, and this is a great honor for him and this is a great honor for the city to have this facility.”
The $500,000 project was funded by the 1 percent tax increase at Hattiesburg hotels, motels and restaurants that was approved by 81 percent of voters in April 2019. Half of those funds are being used for projects of the Hattiesburg Parks and Recreation Department, while the other half are set for renovations at Reed Green Coliseum on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.
In addition to the Kamper Park courts, those funds have so far been used for projects including, but not limited to, an extended walking trail at Duncan Lake, improvements to the batting cages at Vernon Dahmer Park, a ballpark at the intersection of East 9th Street and Memphis Street, and improvements to the basketball and tennis courts on East 8th Street.
“We appreciate the citizens of Hattiesburg for putting this (tax increase) forward, Barker said in a previous story. “Our desire is to be transparent and accountable to you for every cent that is spent.”
