Centralia High School’s tennis courts have been named in honor of the late coach Craig Freels, and a sign is to be constructed by the courts reflecting the new name. The motion for the renaming was made and easily approved at Thursday’s school board meeting, where many of Freels’ friends and family were present.
Principal Reid Shipley introduced the topic with a speech about Freels’ thirty-one year career as a coach and his many contributions to the success and development of student athletes on both the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams. Coach Freels’ mother, Connie, spoke briefly at the end of the discussion, expressing gratitude and reflecting on Craig’s lifelong love of tennis.
The sign marking the newly-named “Craig Freels Tennis Courts” is planned to be a freestanding 8-foot tall structure by the intersection closest to the courts, displaying large white text on a red background. A formal dedication is planned to be held at the courts, the date of which is yet to be decided.
