Carole Floyd is one of the four inductees in the Decatur County Sports Hall of Fame for 2017.

Floyd is an iconic part of Bainbridge’s tennis program and has spent decades developing a prominent, healthy community.

In 1967, Floyd played No.1 singles and doubles for Samuel W. Wolfson High School in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1968, she played No. 4 and No. 5 on the Men’s South Georgia College Tennis team before Title IX. In 1969, Floyd made the UGA Tennis Club.

Floyd coached the Bainbridge High School Tennis team in 1978 and again returned to coach in 1999.

By 1982, she had begun playing No. 1 doubles with the Bainbridge Tennis Team in the North Florida/South Georgia League. Four years later in 1986, Floyd organized and held the first sanctioned junior tournament in Bainbridge.

In 1989, Floyd began the Adult League Tennis in Bainbridge many players have come been a part of over the years.

Starting in 1990 and continuing through 2016, she played on more than 40 4.5 USTA Georgia State winning teams as well as many 4.5 Southern winning teams. Three of these teams proceeded to compete at 4.5 Nationals against the other 16 Sectional Champions.

Floyd formed the Bainbridge Tennis Association in 1992 and in 1995, raised money with the City of Bainbridge, Decatur County and the Decatur County Board of Education and received a grant from the state to build an eight-court complex, now known as the Carole Simpson Floyd Tennis Complex.

It didn’t take long for the Bainbridge Tennis Association to earn the Outstanding Tennis Association of the Year award in 1995, the first of many over the years.

In 1998-99, Floyd served as Bainbridge tournament director and was responsible for bringing the first State Championship held in Bainbridge, where around 450 players and spectators gathered. More State Championships have been held since because of the Bainbridge’s foresight to build the Bill Reynolds Tennis Center with 14 courts.

In 2003 and 2004, Floyd was elected president of USTA Georgia, and served on its board of directors in 2005 and 2006.

In 2015, Floyd was selected to be on the Bainbridge-Decatur County Recreation Authority.

The Decatur County Sports Hall of Fame Banquet will be held Saturday, March 4, with a reception at 6 p.m. and an awards program at 7 p.m. at the Howard Johnson. Tickets can be purchased at Bainbridge High School, Parker Point, Jones-Wheat Elementary and Grace Christian Academy for $20 apiece.