DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — At 79 years old, you can still find Bill Murray with a racket in his hands, coaching young tennis players and serving up words of wisdom on the two hard courts at Pompey Park.
Murray has been a fixture at the park since 1972 when he returned home from the Vietnam War to be a supervisor overseeing the sports fields and teaching swimming lessons to kids in the predominately-Black Poinciana Heights neighborhood.
Pompey Park, first established as Teen Town Center in 1945 following World War II, is where Murray learned the basics of tennis that he's passed on to four generations of children.
“They built this court in 1952 and there were great tennis players,” Murray said. “I wanted to introduce the kids to nontraditional sports, like swimming and tennis.”
Murray said some of the world's top ranked players have graced the courts at Pompey Park through the years, from Althea Gibson to Arthur Ashe and the Williams sisters.
Gibson was the first Black tennis player to win the French Open in 1956 and the U.S. Nationals Singles Championship the following years. Ashe was the first Black man to be ranked No. 1.
In the late nineties, Murray helped coach Venus and Serena Williams alongside their father almost every week for five years at Pompey Park.
Murray also coached Coco Gauff’s father, Corey, when he was growing up and he takes pride in entering then seven-year-old Coco into her first American Tennis Association tournament.
“That little girl could hit the ball back and forth,” Murray said.
Murray estimates he’s coached thousands of kids over the last 52 years and he’s helped hundreds of them get recognized by college coaches.
“I don’t guarantee that you are going to be a pro,” he said. “I just want you to get an education and graduate. And that’s what I have done.”
Teen Town Center opened in 1945
What started as a five-acre parcel of land nearly 80 years ago has blossomed into 17 acres filled with sports fields, a pool, a recreation center and playground visited by more than 150,000 people every year.
The Delray Beach Historical Society said the park was designed as a community gathering spot for the Black community during segregation — when even the beach was off limits to Black citizens.
“That was the beginning of the tourist trades and Black folks were no longer welcome [on the beach] because to them it was an eyesore for their business,” Murray remembers.
In 1976, the park was renamed C. Spencer Pompey Park after a prominent educator, coach and activist.
Coco is headed to the Paris Olympics
Murray introduced a young Coco Gauff to the Williams sister — and years later — introduced his youngest players to Coco Gauff.
The 20-year-old won the 2023 U.S. Open, is currently ranked the No. 2 female player in the world and is set to compete in the Paris Olympics.
“The Olympics is something special: to represent your country,” Murray said.
Yvonne Odom, Coco’s grandmother, told WPTV that her granddaughter is hoping for a medal.
“Everybody is so happy for her because she literally grew up in the church and on the dance team,” said Odom. “Now, everyone says ‘I go to church with Coco.’”
We asked Murray how he has been able to successfully motivate young players over the years.
“Tennis is a learning experience,” he explained. “It’s the closest thing to life. You got to be able to do it yourself. You got to deal with the situation or the situation will deal with you.”
“I tell them, ‘Always be positive and don’t get mad.’ When you get mad, it’s said to be you are going to miss the next three points.”