Photo by Sarah Elmquist Winona Tennis Center board members in the indoor facility, from left to right, Shirley Oberton, Beth Lindholm, Dan Hampton, and Sally Moran.

Tennis begins with love.

That’s true with the scoring of any tennis game. But it’s also true of Winona’s indoor tennis opportunities, driven by a committed group of community members who have worked hard to make sure everyone has access to their favorite sport, year-round.

The Winona Area Tennis Association (WATA) stepped up in 2007 when the future of the area’s only indoor tennis courts was in jeopardy. In 1991, the Hiawatha Education Foundation built the facility on the former campus of the College of Saint Teresa, with the thought that Cotter Area Catholic Schools would one day move to the campus and use the building.

The building included the tennis courts, space for a fitness center and a gymnasium, and was operated by Hiawatha Education Foundation for about ten years. But in 2002, the property was transferred to Saint Mary’s University. With open hours cut by more than half, membership began dwindling.

And by 2006, Cotter School officials began exploring what it would have to do to the facility if all students were located on the campus. Those plans explored redesigning the court space to be used as extra gymnasium space.

That’s when WATA stepped up to the plate, when members began studying what it would take to take over the tennis facility. And in November 2007, their efforts paid off when the nonprofit association entered into a lease agreement with Cotter.

Since then, tennis in Winona has grown. Membership with WATA has increased from about 50 at its low in 2006, to about 190 today. And, the courts are enjoyed by students from Winona State University, Saint Mary’s University, Cotter Area Catholic Schools, Winona Area Public Schools, the La Crosse school district and several other regional universities. Any true tennis fanatic in the region has undoubtedly hit the courts in Winona.

Open hours will start this year the week of September 21. Times may change depending on demand and use, but tentative hours are: Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until noon and from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. until noon and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m.

Plus, there are plenty of classes available for young and old, pro and beginner, offered at the center. From private lessons with pro Rick Bonner to cardio workout tennis classes to lessons for kids as young as four years old, Winona’s indoor center has something for everyone. Check out the class list and more information on WATA at www.winonatennis.com.

The successes and growing membership WATA has experienced since it has embarked on its biggest endeavor hasn’t come without a lot of volunteer time and hard work. Board members Dan Hampton and Beth Lindholm spent as much as 35 hours a week initially, volunteering to man the desk, clean the courts and keep the courts open, with others stepping in from time to time. Now, member Sally Moran has taken over managing the center, a job that’s grown exponentially since WATA took over in 2007.

“We’ve had a lot of fun running it,” said Lindholm. “It’s a lot of work. But we want to keep as many sports in town as we can.”

This is Mario Mason. He works for Caribbean Courts on St. Croix and travels all around the Caribbean re-surfacing sports courts, and St. John is on his list this week.

In addition to resurfacing, the Cruz Bay tennis courts are getting new paint and new lights. The project is being funded by the Department of Housing, Parks & Recreation.

Mario’s next stop?  Just around the corner, at the basketball court.

A New York City man arrested for running onto the court at the U.S. Open to kiss Rafael Nadal will be charged with trespassing and faces possible jail time if convicted, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Noam U. Aorta dashed out of the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens just after midnight Wednesday after Nadal advanced to the quarterfinals by beating Gael Monfils, prosecutors said. Aorta ran onto the court, then hugged and kissed the Spanish star as he was changing shirts on the sideline before security guards took him into custody, they said.

“For me, it wasn’t a problem. The guy was really nice,” Nadal said. “He said, ‘I love you,’ and he kissed me.”

District Attorney Richard Brown, however, called it “particularly disturbing” because Aorta made physical contact with Nadal. Brown noted that Monica Seles was stabbed in the back in 1993 by a spectator on a tennis court in Hamburg, Germany.

Aorta, 23, of Queens, will be charged with third-degree criminal trespass and interfering with a professional sporting event, prosecutors said. If convicted, he faces a maximum one year in jail and $5,000 in fines.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame (1881)
One of the classics of Shingle-Style architecture
Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI
Designed by McKim, Mead, and White