Morristown, Tennessee: Tony Hawk's next skatepark

Tony Hawk in action

I believe the city of Morristown, Tennessee would benefit greatly from applying for the Tony Hawk Skateboard Foundation Grant.  According to their website, the Tony Hawk Foundation seeks to foster lasting improvements in society, with an emphasis on supporting and empowering youth.  The Foundation supports recreational programs with a focus on the creation of public skateboard parks in low-income communities.  The belief by the Foundation is that the skateparks can teach the youth lessons that will last their entire lives.  The hope is that the public will see that these kids are not troublemakers or delinquents as popular images would make you believe. But rather they are good people looking for an outlet to have fun.   In many communities, skateparks have become the outlet needed to break these misconceptions.  

Red dot = Morristown

 I feel the city of Morristown, Tennessee is a good choice to receive the Tony Hawk Skateboard Grant.  The city is nestled in the East Tennessee Smoky Mountains.  It is approximately equal distance between the larger cities of Johnson City and Knoxville, Tennessee.  The closest skateparks are in the towns of Gatlinburg, Johnson City and Knoxville, Tennessee.  Those cities are all approximately 45 miles away from Morristown. If we look at the demographics of Morristown we find that there are more than 27,000 people who inhabit Morristown, making it the 23rd largest city in the state of Tennessee.  Just over 33% of those inhabitants are under the age of 24.  This gives the city a large amount of people who may be interested in using a skatepark.  Twenty-five percent of children under the age of 18 live below the poverty line.  This skatepark would give Morristown the ability to help provide activities for their at-risk youth.   Also, it would help expand the sport of skateboarding to a population of Hispanic youth.  With just over 15% of the city's population being Hispanic, Morristown has a sizable amount of Hispanic citizens.  These demographics tell us that Morristown has a sizable at-risk youth population that could greatly benefit from a skatepark. 

The city of Morristown previously had a skatepark in the city, but it did not last as it was not taken care of by the city. An outside grant from Tony Hawk's foundation would help with the upkeep of the skatepark, and promotion of the skatepark to the citizens of the area. There are many outdoor activities for Morristown's youth to participate in.  The city is situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.  It is located in the Cherokee Reservoir of the Holston River.  Panther Creek State Park provides tourists and citizens with the ability to boat, camp and fish, among other things.  These activities provide a great opportunity for Morristown's citizens, but they do cost money.  Money that many households and children do not have.  A skatepark located in heart of the city would provide with its many youth the ability to relax and have fun while staying out of trouble.  The skatepark could also bring many events to the area to attract participants and spectators.  Another positive aspect of the skatepark being built in Morristown is that it's an area that is relatively unknown for its skateboarding.  Let's face it, people do not usually think of Tennessee when they think of skateboarding.  This would give Tony Hawk's Foundation the unique ability to not only help at-risk youth, but also help the sport of skateboarding grow as well, by introducing it to new participants.


A great partner to help with the implementation of the Tony Hawk Skateboarding Foundation Grant would be the Department of Parks and Recreation for the City of Morristown.  Their purpose and objective is to provide year round wholesome leisure activities for all ages, neighborhoods and walks of life.  By partnering with the city, it will give the skatepark added legitimacy.  The department sponsors, runs and organizes youth and adult athletic leagues on a continuous basis throughout the year.  This means they have the ability to organize and plan specific events that involve the skatepark.  Being a part of the city government, they have the staff and organizational tools needed to run the skatepark.  The city has an extensive network of parks and facilities that could be home to the skatepark. The city has a BMX bike track, the skatepark could be a wonderful addition to that area, as the two sports are closely related to each other.  Included in the city are two recreation centers and at least 15 parks and playgrounds.  The city offers a wide variety of basketball courts, soccer fields, tennis courts, and softball fields as well.  This shows that the city of Morristown is committed to providing recreational activities and places for their citizens to play.

I believe the city of Morristown is a great potential inhabitant of a Tony Hawk Skateboard Park.  The city has a large amount of at-risk youth, who can be helped by a skatepark.  The city's Parks Department has shown the commitment necessary to provide their citizens with recreational activities and outlets.  These factors make the city of Morristown a perfect potential candidate to receive the Tony Hawk Foundation Skateboarding Grant.