April 25, 2001
New CHS tennis courts anyone?
Tennis group hopes to net funds for $250,000 improvement project
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Dodging cracks and stumbling over crumbling cement is just part of the workout for members of the Traverse City Central High School boys' and girls' tennis teams.
Playing on courts, some of which are 40 years old, can be a challenge for these teams' players, though they play excellent tennis despite having such a home court disadvantage. In fact, the boys' team has consistently placed in top 15 in their division in recent years.
But the players on the court are very aware of the shortcomings.
"It's harder to make calls, the balls hit the line and jump all over the place," said Kevin McClatchey, a junior on the varsity tennis team. "It's slippery, too. We have a good team and lousy courts."
Going on the road is a treat for these players, where they can play full out without worrying about being injured or missing calls.
"We travel and play at much better facilities," said Dan Hite, a senior on the varsity tennis team. "It is always in the back of your mind on our courts that there's a pothole you can run into."
Students and coaches emphasize the safety problems that come from playing on Central's tennis courts. These courts are heavily used in all but the winter, not only by the school's teams. Fifteen invitational tournaments are played there during the year plus summer tennis camps that draw up to 350 players.
"I have one player on my team whose mother played on the team when she was a student here. Her mother broke her ankle on a crack that her daughter has to play around now," said Larry Nykerk, coach of the Girls Trojan Tennis team for 18 seasons. "These courts are not tolerable, besides being an embarrassment, they are not safe."
To address these issues, the two tennis coaches and some parents recently formed Friends of Traverse City Tennis to raise funds to upgrade the courts. Friends of Traverse City Tennis has drawn up plans that include adding two courts, bathrooms and water facilities, a concessions area and a walkway between the courts. The bathroom and water facilities will also serve other sports teams who practice outdoors, such as the boys and girls cross country teams.
The plan calls for resurfacing two of the current six courts. The other four courts will be torn out and completely replaced and two of these will be moved back to make room for the walkway. Finally, two new courts will be built, bringing the school's total to eight courts. This compares to ten courts at Traverse City West Senior High, a similar sized school.
The price tag on the upgrade is $250,000. Nykerk acknowledges that is a lot of money to raise but he does not see any other way to give his players safe and competitive home courts. He is turning to the community for support because the school does not have funds for a project of this scope. In addition, he noted that even if the upcoming millage were to pass, spending money on the upgrade is not a district priority.
"The lower courts are 40 years old and the only way to address their problems and cracks is to tear them out," Nykerk noted. "They all were resurfaced in 1993 and there were problems with the upper courts so they were repainted in 1997. Though we've tried to address the problems, they are still there."
Nykerk has spearheaded a grant writing effort to seek donations from local community foundations, sending along dramatic photos of the cracks and yawning gaps in the surface on most of the courts.
"These courts are the hub of tennis in Traverse City," Nykerk said. "They are the most used and the best located."
Donations to Friends of Traverse City Tennis to help upgrade the school's tennis courts can be sent to the Traverse City Central High School Athletic Office at 1150 Milliken Drive, Traverse City, 49686.