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OSU has never had dedicated tennis facilities. There are no locker rooms, no indoor or outdoor courts dedicated to the teams’ use. There are, of course, the tennis courts next to the Colvin Center Annex, but those are open, at any time, to any OSU student. There are no restrooms. There are no scoreboards.

OSU tennis players often travel to Ponca City, Tulsa, Edmond and Oklahoma City just to practice during poor weather conditions. Sometimes the coaches make multiple trips because players’ class schedules don’t allow them to all go at once.

aS oF right now, osu is the only b ig 12 program with no tennis facilities. But that’s about to change, thanks in large part to the Greenwoods and their donation to build the Michael & Anne Greenwood Indoor Tennis Center. And once again, we have Boone Pickens to thank.

“First of all, our inspiration is Boone Pickens,” says Michael. “Not only because of the donations he has made to OSU over the years, but also from his comment a few years ago on how he did not understand why so many people rely on their estates to make gifts instead of making your gift now when you can actually see its beneficial impact. Mr. Pickens’ comment really touched us. We were going to do the same thing. We had OSU in our estate plans. We thought, ‘You know, Boone is right. Let’s do something now.’

“When we decided to make an immediate impact, we looked across campus and asked, ‘What seems to be one of the biggest needs?’ For 40 years, former head coach James Wadley led a successful OSU tennis program without the benefit of any facilities at all. We started working with the OSU Tennis staff and Mike Holder and with Coach Wadley ’s pending retirement, we transitioned to developing the facility with Coach Chris Young We Wanted to build off CoaC h Wadley’s legaCy and turn this vision into a reality.”

The Greenwoods were already well aware of the deficient facilities for tennis. They’ve sat through matches in inclement weather. They’ve watched tennis matches clad in winter parkas. Once they were even given hand warmers by Coach Wadley.

“We were at a match one time when osu had the n o. 1 ranked player in the u nited s tates . During a match played in gusty winds, the opposing player hit a hard drive into the corner, and our player returned it with a very high lob shot. The wind was blowing so strong that the ball actually went across the net while in the air, then came all the way back and landed on his side. To his credit, he just grinned and shook his head, along with the rest of us,” says Michael.

The Greenwood’s gift ensures OSU tennis players will get to play and practice, rain or shine or wind.

“The players will not have as many good stories to tell on dealing with the elements,” says Michael, “but they will benefit from a consistent practice schedule. When these facilities are completed, it will change the entire recruiting landscape. We have great head coaches, both Chris Young and Jay Udwadia , and great assistant coaches, but they have been hindered by the lack of facilities. A lot of the players use college as the development ground for going pro. However, if they cannot practice every day because we do not have an indoor facility, then they will not come to OSU. With the new tennis facilities, that limitation is now behind us.”

“It’s going to be exciting, and I can’t wait for people to get the opportunity to see just how good OSU tennis players are,” says Anne. “ t his is going to be perfeC t. to have all the tennis Courts together and W ithin the osu athleti C v illage is going to be fabulous.” t hey are extraordinary athletes and good students. it’s an easy sport for me to support.”

That they’re so dedicated to the tennis teams has more to do with Anne than Michael, but she’s passed that enthusiasm onto him.

“I have always loved tennis,” she says. “My father loved tennis. He would drive up from our hometown of Carnegie, Oklahoma, and meet me for OSU tennis matches. They were consistently good. i t’s just a sport that i love to WatC h. i t requires su C h great athleti C ability.

They don’t just support OSU tennis. Michael and Anne Greenwood are OSU superfans.

“We have season ti C kets for every sport that sells season ti C kets,” says Michael.

“When I came to college here, it was just where I wanted to go my whole life. My parents said, ‘You can go, but you have to get scholarships.’ So I did,” says Anne. “I loved OSU when I was in high school even though I grew up in a predominantly OU community. But I didn’t care. This is where I was going to go. I’ve always supported OSU. I’ve never missed a bowl game. Because I enjoyed OSU tennis so much, I’ve watched the program for many, many years. I even went to one of Coach Wadley’s tennis camps back in 1981.

And on C e W e got married, i brought out the Orange in m i C hael . He already loved OSU, but I made sure we went to the events. You just have to support it. i hope W e’re the best kind of fans.”

It became easier for the Greenwoods to attend OSU events when they moved to Stillwater to “retire.”

“Anne retired after a 30-year corporate accounting career with major Fortune 500 companies,” says Michael. “After my long career as an executive with several energy companies, I decided to retire from Corporate America and start my own financial advisory firm.

“When Anne retired, we lived in Tulsa. As a consultant, it does not matter where I reside. I told Anne we could live anywhere in the world that she chooses. She said, ‘I want to go back to our old college town.’ So here we are.”

Relocating to Stillwater made it easier for the Greenwoods to volunteer at the University as well, not to just attend athletic events.

“I’m retired, but I’m a full-time volunteer,” says Anne, “and 90 percent of my time is spent at to my former high school in Carnegie, and Michael’s is tied to Will Rogers High School in Tulsa. We also have an endowed scholarship for the OSU Marching Band and we are one of the lead supporters for the OSU Student Foundation where students raise scholarship funding for fellow students.”

They each believe they would not have achieved what they have in life without the education they received from OSU, an education they would not have gotten without financial assistance.

“a nne and i W ere only able to go to College beCause of finanC ial aid,” says Michael. “Neither one of us came from privileged backgrounds. That was why we started giving back to the University. We Wanted to make sure that other students Could folloW us, that there would be scholarship money available so they would be able to attend OSU and enjoy the same benefit that we received.” multi-millionaire to make a difference,” says Michael. “But you can provide only a small scholarship, even $500, and change someone’s life. a s C holarship does not have to be funded W ith millions of dollars. I cannot tell you between the two of us how many additional scholarship funds we have generated just from people we know, and talking to them about the possibilities. They had this mistaken belief that they do not have the kind of wealth to support scholarships. Yes, you do. It does not take millions of dollars to make a signifi Cant differen C e in a student’s opportunity to su CC eed.”

Anne said, “Both Michael and I know where we came from and can see the difference in our lives education has made.

The fundraising for the tennis facility is ongoing, and the Greenwoods have pledged to match up to $4 million in donations from other donors.

“The tennis facility construction is scheduled for completion late summer,” says Michael, “but if we want all the facilities needed to attract regional and national NCAA tournaments, then additional donations are required. And hosting NCAA events is our ultimate goal. ”

“It’s going to be remarkable to be able to watch six matches inside at once, and

Oklahoma State, where I am involved in many activities including Friends of the OSU Library, OSU Friends of Music, Women for OSU and freshmen orientation programs. Anything and everything. That’s where my passion is.”

They also support OSU on the academic side of things, contributing to several scholarships. “We each have endowed scholarships linked to our hometown communities,” says Anne. “Mine is tied us. From where we came from to where we are today would not have been possible without our education, and we know that. Because of that, how can we not help others have the same opportunities we had?”

As a Trustee of the OSU Foundation, Michael often gives fundraising speeches to potential donors, and he believes he’s opened a lot of eyes to how simple it is to make a big impact in a student’s life.

“Many times people think to support scholarships that you have to be a then walk on the outside concourse, and watch as many outdoor matches,” says Anne. “ i t’s also a Way for us to honor some of the very best student-athletes W e have at the u niversity. Not just in the classroom, but also the way they give back to the community.”

“One thing that surprises many people who have thanked us for our tennis facility donation,” says Michael, “is when they learn that we do not even play tennis. s o this is not about reliving any past glory on the tennis Courts. i t is simply about identifying a key need for the u niversity and making the C ommitment to fulfill it.” earn one point each year for purchasing season tickets (one point per sport annually), as well as one point for each year of POSSE

Conne C tion with the u niver S ity: Donors (or their spouses) who are OSU Alumni receive a one-time 10 point bonus, as do OSU faculty/staff and letterwinners.