Family of the Year: The McGrown Family
“Tennis has been an excellent opportunity to grow together as a family and share fitness goals,” says Maurice McGrown.
Hailing from Wichita, the McGrown family is the USTA Kansas Family of the Year. Maurice and Christy McGrown both grew up in Wichita. The two first met in middle school and later connected again during their time at Wichita State.
They both work in the medical field in respiratory therapy. Growing up, Christy battled respiratory issues and had 13 sinus surgeries. That led her to her current career path as a respiratory therapist. Maurice is the Director of Respiratory, Cardio Pulmonary and Sleep Lab at Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.
Christy played tennis as a child, but Maurice did not pick up the sport until the McGrown children started to play. Maurice and Christy have four children and they all have had involvement with the game.
“Sydney and Miya went to Alex Lee’s summer tennis camp at McAdams Park. That started nine years ago and we have been involved ever since,” says Maurice McGrown.
Currently, Sydney McGrown plays tennis for Friends University. Kira McGrown just completed her senior season at Maize High School and is set to play in college and Jayden McGrown plays in USTA events.
“Tennis has been very rewarding for our kids. They have met lots of friends and enjoyed the social aspects of tennis,” says Maurice.
The McGrown family has been generous with its time volunteering with National Junior Tennis and Learning and with USTA events like the Wichita Open.
“Those events have been fun and definitely an opportunity to promote the game. It’s very important to get kids involved in tennis at a young age,” says Maurice. “My kids have benefited greatly from tennis and it’s nice to invest time in the local tennis community with these events.”
That investment has been especially important in Wichita.
“I think there’s lots of room for growth in the Wichita tennis scene. I would like to see more time and money invested in junior development,” says Maurice. “I would also like to see a more focused push to improve diversity in local tennis.”
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