Toast of the Town … A weekend of good health and celebrating a legend

Tom Habitz, the Executive Director of the Hamtramck Parks Conservancy, speaks at a dedication ceremony in Veterans Park. The park’s tennis court was being named in honor of legendary tennis coach Jean Hoxie.

By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck had another busy weekend, but this time it had nothing to do with nightclubs or entertainment.
Saturday morning kicked off the spring/summer season with a message to take care of your health. If you are like Toast, since covid hit, our health and physical routine went kaput.
While we didn’t partake in the annual 5K Health Hike on Saturday, sponsored by the Hamtramck Drug Free Coalition, we were there in spirit.
(OK, that’s lame. But honestly, Toast is on the road to getting back to his college weight. Or close enough.)
Once again hundreds of people came out to participate, or perhaps, maybe they showed up just for the free T-shirt?
It’s always a chance to meet a cross-section of folks of various ages and ethnic backgrounds. And it’s always a great opportunity for Hamtramck to showcase its incredible cultural diversity, as well as the city’s fascinating and unique housing.
Each house in the city tells a different story – some of which are interesting while others maybe you don’t want to know about.
Health advocates say one of the easiest and best roads to better health is something simple as a vigorous daily walk, and Hamtramck offers an endless opportunity to discover something new in town.
And, it’s always mind-boggling to finally realize the new things out there that you might never notice when in your car. There’s always something you didn’t see before, and — this being Hamtramck — always something odd.
A friend of ours started walking every day in the city for about five miles, and his health and weight improved immensely. Are you sitting on a sofa reading this? Get up, and head out the door, right now!
Sunday afternoon was the dedication of the tennis court in Veterans Park in honor of legendary Hamtramck Public Schools tennis coach and mentor, Jean Hoxie.

And it was another reminder that we all need to get out there and be active.
Hamtramck has had plenty of powerful, inspirational, independent and trailblazing women, not only in sports, but in business, the medical field, entertainment, politics and education.
But Jean Hoxie is on a pedestal all alone.
In tennis circles she is truly visionary. And, from those who knew her: someone to fear, because she demanded the best out of you – no matter how much she pushed you out of your comfort zone.
But that’s only because she believed in you, it’s been said.
Hoxie died in the early 1970s, but, when she was here, she created from scratch the nation’s top tennis program, right here in our public schools. And the tennis court she taught on is still there in Veterans Park.
She was tennis coach from the 1940s through the 1960s.
Her most legendary pupil was Hamtramck’s own Jane “Peaches” Bartkowicz, who went on to win the girls Wimbledon singles title in 1964.
Other players that she nurtured also went on to win Wimbledon championships. Her reputation was so renowned that even people like the Ford family took note (and Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp was one of Hoxie’s students!).
Eventually, Hoxie’s coaching acumen earned her inclusion in the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1965.
One of her past students was at the dedication: Chuck Brainard introduced himself as a “Hoxie kid.”
‘I was here every single day,” Chuck said about the tennis court.
“Tennis is a sport of a lifetime,” he said “The atmosphere here (Hamtramck) for sports was incredible.”
You can look at Hamtramck’s sports legacy by going to the Hamtramck High School Community Center on Charest, where there is a display of past players.
As for Hoxie, if you can get your hands on a copy of the book, “Jean Hoxie: The Robin Hood of Tennis,” by Jean Pitrone, grab it.
And maybe, eventually, there might be a movie made based on her life, we were told.
In the meantime, tennis is still being taught in the high school, and there is now both girls and boys teams that compete.
Also, you, yourself, can get into the swing of things this summer, by signing up for a tennis instructional program (for youth and adult beginners) at Veterans Park. For more information, you can contact Susan Courtright at susan@midwest.usta.com.

When it comes to good food and great times, Hamtramck has plenty to offer. In this column, we’ll talk about what’s happening at our bars, restaurants and at other events throughout the city.
Posted May 25, 2025