Ground Cover Tennis Court Re Surfacing
Tennis court in Buda
Budapest photo posted by Zsolt
Tennis court project begins
CONNIE TORRES ctorres@gosanangelo.com / 659-8218
A long-awaited project to build a public tennis facility near San Angelo Stadium is getting started.
Construction for the new Community Tennis Center, under a $532,000 contract between the city of San Angelo and M&M Erectors, began last week.
“It will provide another avenue for recreation,” said Andy Cedillo, the city’s recreation manager. “I hope it drives interest (to tennis).”
The new center could be ready by next spring and see as many as 80 to 100 people swinging racquets a day, said Carl White, parks and recreation director.
The tennis center is a joint partnership with the city of San Angelo, San Angelo Independent School District and the Concho Valley Tennis Association. Work includes renovating the six existing Glenn Middle School tennis courts, building two new courts, adding new fencing and improving accessibility.
Under the plan, the six courts will be built south of the West Texas Rehab Center to be reserved for SAISD between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The school district will continue to maintain the courts just as it has done in the past, said Steve Van Hoozer, the district’s director of bond planning and construction.
White said the city has a lot to gain from the tennis courts.
“It’s going to help the youth and help folks stay healthy and active,” White said.
Nationally ranked tennis player and CVTA member Tatum Rochin said the new center could improve her game.
“I think it will be a big asset to the community,” the 17-year-old said. “I think it will bring a lot of players out and I would have a lot more people to hit with.”
Tatum’s sister, Hailey, also a nationally ranked tennis player, is optimistic the facility will bring people to the tennis community.
“I think it’s going to be really nice,” the 15-year-old said. “I hope this brings some more attraction to tennis — I think it would.”
Kevin Collins, regional tennis coordinator and tennis pro at Bentwood Country Club, said the courts will provide leverage to pursue more events.
“It would give us the opportunity to hold more tournaments,” Collins said. “Hopefully, we will hold one or two more.”
Collins helps coordinate several tournaments throughout the year that bring at least 200 players. The economy could see a boost from having additional events.
“What we know is that when young people participate they bring coaches, parents, brothers, teammates and that’s ideal tourism for San Angelo,” said Phil Neighbors, president of the Chamber of Commerce. “You look at all the sports events … this just gives us one more attraction.”
Kellye Duncan, board member of the tennis association, is excited about the economic impact the courts will have.
“It’s a win-win for San Angelo,” Duncan said. “My son played soccer, and we traveled all across Texas. For tournaments we go to another city get a hotel, eat at their restaurants and sometimes go shopping. Other people who travel here for tennis tournaments will do the same and it will benefit the city.”
According to sports supply stores in San Angelo, sales of tennis supplies are steady all year, with spikes happening in early spring.
Construction for the center will bring four to five jobs and employment for three to four tennis instructors once the courts are complete, said White. White said the facility will be run by a tennis organization.
“The city doesn’t have any intentions to run tennis programs,” White said. “There’s groups that can do that, so why not let them?”
So far the city has only been in contact with the CVTA in managing the courts, said White. The tennis association has been a strong advocate of the complex, association president Patsy Rainwater Maddux said.
The CVTA is a nonprofit group that provides tennis lessons to children and adults. It generally works with about 200 people a year. The association is a partner with SAISD and holds four tournaments a year.
Cedillo said it’s still undetermined whether there will be a fee to use the center.
“Whoever is in charge will need to make revenue because they will be paying the electricity bill,” Cedillo said. Lighting would account for most of the electric costs, he said.
The lighting will be provided by a grant to the city for $131,800 from the San Angelo Health Foundation. Aside from that grant, total cost for the facility should be $694,000 Cedillo said. Other funding for the project will come from the city’s half-cent sales tax and money raised through community donations.
The CVTA has donated $20,000 toward the project and plans to give $26,000 to build an office at the center. Total cost to build an office is $30,000.
CVTA also plans to raise funds to add bleachers and shades to the center, said Maddux.
“The challenge has been the funding,” said Maddux. “We’re optimistic and just trying to get the word out to support tennis.”
The association is continuing its fundraising efforts through the sale of pavers at $125 each. The paving bricks can be inscribed with up to three lines of text, Maddux said. They will be placed in a landscaped area of the court complex by the city.
The immediate goal of the fundraising, she said, is to build a $27,000 set of shaded bleachers for spectator seating. The association has $6,000 in hand, she said.
The project is the realization of one the association’s core missions, she said.
“Our purpose is public recreation, and this fills a void in San Angelo,” she said.
TO HELP THE COURTS
The Concho Valley Tennis Association continues to raise money for additions to the Tennis Center. To buy a paver or make a donation, contact Patsy Rainwater Maddux at 942-9938 or visit the association’s Web site — conchovalleytennis.net — and contact the association through the Web site by e-mail.
TENNIS IN THE MAKING
Tennis supporters have played a long set to get the public courts by San Angelo Stadium renovated and expanded. Here’s the timeline:
October 2007
City Council rejects a contract between the city and an architect to design a $750,000 tennis facility.
December 2007
Council votes 6-1 to approve $675,000 for the tennis facility. The City of San Angelo Economic Development Corp. approved $750,000 in half-cent sales tax funds for a centrally located tennis complex. But approvals of the funds and the design contract were held up by District 2 Councilman Dwain Morrison, who said the Glenn site was too far southwest and demanded 10 percent of the budget be used for lighting tennis courts at Lake View High School — that left $675,000.
April 2008
City council unanimously approves conceptual designs for the Community Tennis Center to be built near Glenn Middle School.
May 2009
City Council approves $532,000 contract for M&M Erectors to construct the tennis center.
Tennis Lessons for Beginning Players : Tennis Court Layout & Lines
http://www.youtube.com/user/expertvillage
Learn how a tennis court is arranged and what the meanings of the lines are in this free online video tennis lesson.
Expert: Scott Browder
Bio: Scott Browder has been playing racket sports since he was 7 years old. In those many years he has competed at every level with the exception of competing professionally.
Filmmaker: Travis Waack
Friends become foes on tennis court
Pospisil prevails over doubles partner in Futures of Peoria
By BO RYAN
Journal Star
PEORIA —
It was a competition that the No. 1-seeded doubles and title-match bound team of Milos Raonic and Vasek Pospisil really didn’t want to happen at the USTA Futures of Peoria tennis tournament.
But the main draw called for it. Raonic and Pospisil in a Friday quarterfinal singles match against each other at the Clubs at River City.
“It’s not so much that he’s my doubles partner,” Raonic said. “We do everything together. We hung out last night. We had dinner together. You know what I’m saying?
“And we’re both Canadians, so there’s a pride thing, too. The toughest thing is preparing for this match just like you do any other match.”
Ultimately the match belonged to Pospisil as he easily defeated his doubles partner 6-2, 6-1 on a July day that felt more like football Friday in October.
The sixth-seeded Raonic was one of three seeded players to fall in the quarterfinal round. Only one seeded player remains in the tournament.
Main draw wild-card entry Michael Venus stunned second-seeded Michael McClune 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 in the day’s first match. In perhaps the best match, fifth-seeded Matej Bocko ousted third- seeded Greg Ouellette 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (1).
Ouellette was at deuce, leading 6-5 before slipping.
In the day’s final match, Roy Kalmanovich stopped the improbable run of qualifier Clint Bowles 6-2, 6-1 in a battle of the No. 1 players from the University of Illinois and Florida State, respectively.
The semifinals begin at 11 a.m. Saturday with Venus meeting Bocko. At noon, Pospisil takes on Kalmanovich.
In his quarterfinal match, Pospisil started strong, breaking the big serving Raonic in the first game. It was one of four service breaks Pospisil had against the 6-foot-7 Raonic, who once had his serve measured at 217 kilometers or 150 mph-plus.
Raonic fell behind 3-1, got it back to 3-2 and had the add in game six before losing. Pospisil’s ground strokes kept Raonic moving and seemingly a bit off balance at times in winning the first four games in the second set.
“The conditions were tough, so it was more about staying mentally tough, dealing with the wind and weather,” Pospicil said. “But I was happy in the way I played.
“(Raonic) wasn’t serving the way he normally does. I played him a few months ago and it was three really close sets.”
Raonic had nine aces compared to Pospisil’s three. But he also had a half-dozen double-faults, several unforced errors and struggled to get his first serve in play the entire match.
“I did struggle, but it wasn’t just the serve,” Raonic said of his second loss to his doubles partner this season. “It was all kinds of stuff. A woke-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-bed kind of day.”
Navy Yard tennis courts could use some work
Globe Watch
With the weather finally cooperating, tipster Ellen Flipse tells GlobeWatch she’s been excited to get outside to enjoy a treasured seasonal pastime. “Summer is finally here! Outdoor tennis is always one of my favorite summer pastimes. Unfortunately, our local tennis court in the Charlestown Navy Yard is barely hanging in there,’’ she writes. Flipse, who lives in the neighborhood, says the nets are torn up, large cracks scar the court surface, and lights don’t work well. “Because of June’s rainy weather, I haven’t played tennis as frequently as I would like. Generally, I play two or three times a week. Because the conditions are so bad at the Navy Yard courts, we try to find other venues first. (The Navy Yard is the last resort!)’’ Flipse says she thinks the poor conditions have driven others away, too.
“I used to regularly see people on the courts playing tennis or basketball. . . It just seems that the deterioration of the courts has led to many people seeking other sources to play,’’ she writes. “Who oversees the courts? A few improvements would go a long way.’’
During a visit last week, a Globe reporter found the nets had a few holes, but were upright and functional. Dozens of large, deep crevices on both courts, and on an adjacent basketball court, seemed likely to interfere with smooth play. The chain-link fence that contained the courts looked a bit shabby and rusted, but serviceable. The lights were not in use because it was still light out.
THE PARKS SERVICE RESPONDS
“Thank you for bringing this to our attention,’’ said Sean Hennessy, spokesman for the National Park Service, which runs the Navy Yard and maintains the tennis courts. The park service inherited the courts, which date from the late 19th century, when it took over the Yard in 1974, he said. Because they are on a historically protected property, the service was reluctant to remove them despite the incongruity of managing two public tennis courts along with its primary activities of leading tours and stewarding historic attractions. “We’re happy to provide that amenity to the community,’’ he said. Contrary to Flipse’s assertion, the tennis and basketball courts are in greater demand than ever by local residents and Navy personnel, leading to accelerated deterioration, said Hennessy. A backstop is repainted, and basketball nets are replaced every year, he said, and the tennis nets are swapped out every couple of years. Weeding and litter pickup are done on a regular basis. But the court surface was last redone in 1985.
Hennessy said he would initiate a work order to get the courts resurfaced. “We will enter something in and get that rolling,’’ he said, adding he couldn’t say how long it might take before the work would begin.
The City of Boston’s Parks and Recreation Department manages 58 tennis courts citywide that are “heavily used,’’ said spokeswoman Mary Hines. The Department of Conservation and Recreation oversees 59 public courts statewide, 30 of which are in Boston, said spokeswoman Wendy Fox.
Baseball Tennis, Ready?
2 kids take baseball to the tennis court
Anna Kournikova Kicks Ass On The Tennis Court… And Off
I’m sure you’re all aware of some events that transpired last week in Vegas involving tennis star Anna Kournikova and another woman at a local club, Lavo. It’s been all over the Hollywood gossip sites and while I ignored this story the first seventy-eight times I came across it during internet browsing, it really got me thinking about women and their roles in society as physical “fighters.”
Not really knowing (or caring) much about Anna Kournikova other than she dates (dated? married? divorced?) Enrique Iglesias, I wasn’t sure whether or not to allow the story to surprise me. However, after some research, I’ve found that she is one of two tennis players with a chip on their shoulder; the other is legendary troublemaker, Johnny McEnroe. Maybe it’s something that the USTA feeds their big-named players or maybe it’s something in the beverages they’re supplied with while on the court.
Regardless, after reading the story and still not caring a bit about the lovely Kournikova, it brought me to a conundrum that you, my audience, could be of some assistance.
My burning question: is it ever socially acceptable for a woman to itch the scratch for a catfight? I’m not talking domestic violence here where it’s a self-defense thing in a relationship – I’m talking about the catty bitch in the club that’s giving you eyes and making sure to elbow you on her way past you and your girlfriends on the way to the bar. The one who just doesn’t like you because you’re you. We all know that girl. We may have even been that girl at some point in our lives. However, does a dirty look or an attitude problem warrant throwing drinks, which will almost always result in punches being thrown?
Society portrays women fighting as declasse, trashy and inappropriate. Yet, how is it any better when it’s two (preferably muscle-bound) men?
I, personally, wouldn’t drop to a level of physical violence, unless of course, I was defending myself which in this particular case… Well, it doesn’t seem the case. The woman in question felt that Kournikova was “invading” her “personal space” and threw a drink on her. I can’t say that Anna’s immediate reaction was correct, but I can say that had there been less alcohol involved for both parties, the situation may have turned out differently. Be that as it may, the verbal altercation ended up physical and various eyewitnesses stated that multiple punches were thrown by both women.
I’m going to play the more than likely, wildly unpopular-on-a-feminist-blog notion card here and say: yes, Anna, being a woman and physically fighting with another woman has made you look trashy. It has made you look as cheap as the other woman who allegedly started said fight.
I didn’t know much about you, Ms. Kournikova, and I still don’t. I didn’t have an opinion on you before this story broke, but I can surely tell you, in my eyes, you have made a fool out of yourself. If that’s the way you want to be viewed by society as a whole (or at least the part who feels that physical violence is unnecessary and barbaric), so be it. You will remain in my eyes as the trashy drunk girl that knocked the shit out of the other trashy drunk girl.
Violence is never the way. Walking away from an altercation is sometimes the hardest thing to do, but it’s always the best possible choice.
