Tom Anderson

The “face” of the Lakewood YMCA for more than 30 years will become an inductee of the Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.

Before he began his long professional association with the Y, Tom Anderson was an outstanding tennis player at Southwestern Central and SUNY Brockport. A 1976 SWCS graduate, Tom played for legendary Trojans tennis coach Anne Tenney Smith. He was her No. 1 singles player for 3 years.

He was a 4-year starter at Brockport and was the No. 1 singles player his senior year, 1980, and finished second in the SUNY championship tournament.

During his active playing career, Anderson was a 5-time Jamestown city champion, 2-time Warren city champ, Chautauqua County champ, Len Johnson Classic champ and Post-Journal Classic champ among his many tournament titles.

Tom began teaching at the former Billie Jean King Tennis Center in 1980 and continued through its transition to the Lakewood YMCA over the next 23 years.

When Paul Bush donated the tennis center to the YMCA in 1991, Anderson became its executive director, a position he held until his retirement in 2022. His tenure was marked by visionary leadership that made the Lakewood Y an active and sustainable resource for the greater Jamestown community.

He designed and built the area’s first indoor soccer facility. The 10,000 square foot arena hosted nearly 100 youth, high school, men’s women’s and co-ed teams on a weekly basis. Under Tom’s leadership, the multi-purpose facility was also used for basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, roller hockey and a variety of other recreational activities.

Anderson, along with Chuck Jambliter, created an indoor gymnastics center at the Y, equipped with Olympic quality apparatus, spring floor, in-ground trampoline and landing pits.

Staying true to the facility’s roots, Tom put an emphasis on making the Y a tennis destination for budding players and seasoned veterans alike for tournaments, clinics and summer camps.

He hosted Chautauqua County high school competitions and Section VI championships. Racquetball and more recently pickle ball have also received the deft touch and promotion by Anderson.

Other community activities, long-standing and significant, that can be traced directly to Tom are the Battle of the Businesses, the July 4th Firecracker Run, the Amy King Run and the March Madness 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.

Anderson’s fundraising capabilities on behalf of the Y have been extraordinary. Carefully cultivating a vast network, he has secured event sponsors and fundraising for capital projects with an infectious personal style and enthusiasm. As one local businessman related with a big grin, “You just can’t say no to Tom.”

In recognition of his impact on the Y, Tom received the Paul B. Sullivan Lifetime Achievement Award and had the Y’s tennis courts named in his honor.

Anderson retired in 2022 and lives in Russell, Pa.