COMPTON, Calif. -- Venus and Serena Williams made a rare visit to their childhood hometown, where their half-sister was killed in 2003, to have tennis courts dedicated in their honor on Saturday.The sisters were greeted by cheers from a few hundred people when they arrived at Lueders Park, not far from their former home in the violence-plagued city of Compton located 17 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.We literally lived right down the street so we could walk there, Venus told the crowd.Banners hung in the four corners of the two newly refurbished courts proclaiming them the Venus & Serena Williams Court of Champions.We are really excited to be here, Serena said. Driving here brought back so many memories. We definitely want to see some more champions come from these courts.Venus added: Its been a surreal experience to be back in this way.To have the tennis court refurbished, to make sure that theres coaching available, to make sure that these programs go on and to make sure that this sport stays here in our community, its a big part of bringing us all up and creating positivity for young people.The sisters laughed and applauded the Compton Sounders drill team and drum squad that performed for them on court.Babies in strollers, members of a Girl Scout troop and elderly residents were among the crowd sitting in white chairs on the two courts.Thelma LeBeauf, an 84-year-old fan from Los Angeles, clutched a plastic bag filled with newspaper articles about the sisters she has clipped and saved over the years. She pulled out a photo from the late 1990s, when the sisters wore colorful beads in their hair.At that time, black people, we werent into tennis, said LeBeauf, who attended with her daughter and granddaughter. Ive learned from watching them. I like the style they play.The sisters first learned to play tennis a few miles away on courts at East Rancho Dominguez Park in an unincorporated area surrounding Compton under the tutelage of their father, Richard, who didnt attend Saturdays ceremony.They were accompanied by their mother, Oracene Price.The previously run-down and little-used courts at Lueders Park are fenced with lighting and now host three tennis camps and clinics, according to Aja Brown, the citys 34-year-old female mayor.When you consider all the challenges and all the obstacles that the Williams sisters had to overcome and they stayed focused and dedicated, so that same message is being transferred over to the young people in the city, Brown said.The sisters are helping fund the Yetunde Price Resource Center in Compton, set to open early next year. Named for their half-sister who was killed in a drive-by shooting in September 2003, the center will help connect residents affected by violence with service providers.Its definitely a healing moment. They havent been to the city of Compton since their sister passed away, said Brown, whose grandmother was fatally shot in Compton. All of us in the community in some way have been touched by violence.After the ceremony, the sisters left the park and headed to the Healthy Compton Festival at the citys transit plaza, where they were set to judge dance and food contests.The sisters primarily live in South Florida, where their father moved the family from Compton so they could further hone their games at a tennis academy. Colorado Avalanche Pro Shop . Thousands of fans at Mosaic Stadium will be cozying up to each other in an effort to stay warm in chilly temperatures and block the Prairie wind that locals say can knock your socks off. Colorado Avalanche Gear . Kozun faked to the forehand and beat Monsters starter, Calvin Pickard, pad side in the second round for the winner. Spencer Abbott also scored in the shootout for the Marlies (25-13-4). https://www.cheapavalanche.com/ . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. Cheap Avalanche Jerseys . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Stitched Avalanche Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. Winger Chris Ashtons England career was hanging by a thread after he was handed a 13-week ban for biting an opponent.The 29-year-old Saracens back, who has played 39 Tests, was found guilty of biting Northampton prop Alex Waller in one of two incidents within the space of a minute during an Aviva Premiership match on Saturday.He will miss 13 matches for Saracens, including European Champions Cup clashes against Toulon, Scarlets and Sale Sharks.?The second charge was dismissed.Having considered detailed evidence the panel concluded that during the course of a ruck Chris Ashton bit the arm of Alex Waller at a time that Mr Waller was attempting to clear him out, disciplinary panel chairman Philip Evans said in a statement.The panel concluded it was a loow-end entry point aggravated by his previous record.dddddddddddd.He is free to play again from Dec. 19, the panel said. Saracens first match after his ban is against Newcastle Falcons at Allianz Park on Dec. 24.Ashtons hopes of earning a recall to the England squad for this years Six Nations ended when he was handed a 10-week suspension for making contact with the eye of Ulster centre Luke Marshall during a Champions Cup match in January.The former rugby league player, who has scored 19 tries for England, has not represented his country since 2014 and missed out on Eddie Joness 45-man elite player squad named last month. ' ' '