Teen dance club opens in Atoka

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Even though school doors are closing, students now have a new place to hang out as Club Mystic in Atoka opens.

Munford residents Terry Berryhill and Shane Black have partnered to bring the teens of the area a place to hang out on the weekends.

The club, which is open from 6 p.m. to midnight both Friday and Saturday and located at 13232 Highway 51, gives 13 through 19-year-olds a venue to dance and play video games.As parents of teen-agers themselves, Berryhill and Black know how important it is to ensure parents their children will be safe at the facility.

Parents are allowed to come in from 6 to 7 p.m.

"They're always allowed to come in and check on them," Berryhill said. "If they want to they can come in to see how their kids are doing."

Black agreed.

"If my teenager was running off somewhere that I wasn't sure about, I'd be checking it out myself," he explained.

But no one over the age of 19 is allowed to come onto the dance floor with the children.

"This is a place for teen-agers to come and be themselves -- within reason," Berryhill chuckled.  

Growing up in Munford as neighbors for nearly 30 years, Berryhill and Black know from experience that finding something fun to do is limited for teen-agers.

"The best thing teens have to do is see a movie," Black said. "(This) gives them a place to go where they can stay out of trouble."

Since opening night on May 10, the club has averaged approximately 35 to 40 teens each weekend.

While some parents come in to look around and then decide  the club is a good place for their children, Black said other parents do not feel the same, because of some of the things that have been posted on the Internet from other teens clubs

"Parents that we've had come up here, when they enter the door they seem to have almost a negative attitude about the whole thing," he noted. "For the sake of their teen-ager they want to come here for themselves. And after they walked through the building and talked to us to know what we allow and don't allow, they've sent their kids back."

Berryhill and Black said they do not want to be compared to the other teen clubs.

"We're not like that," Black acknowledged. "Some serve non-alcoholic drinks and have dance poles and foam parties. We do not want to be compared to that. Our whole objective is to give the teen-agers a good, clean place to come to hang out with friends and play some games."

To ensure the safety of the occupants, a security guard is also on the premises.

"There is no hanging out in the parking lot," Berryhill said. "You either come in or you're gone."

Rules at the club include no foul language and a dress code.

"We have the right to refuse service to anyone," Black said.

Admission to Club Mystic is $10 with snacks and drinks available for $1. Most of the arcade games cost 25 cents.

This weekend the club will have an end of the school year celebration with half price admission.

For more information visit www.clubmysticteendanceclub.com or call 837-9600.