Avon Middle School Tennis Courts One Step Closer to Rebirth

The Avon Town Council approved, in principal, to pledge a total of $20,000 at last week’s meeting to go toward the effort to bring the Avon Middle School tennis courts back to life.

The sum is larger than initially requested by members of the Avon Community Recreational Neighborhood (ACORN), a non-profit organization taking the lead in restoring the courts. However, damage to the soil underneath the courts needs be addressed to prevent future problems.

“There were some under-the-soil issues there and those had to be addressed so the courts would not crack again right away,” said Town Council Chair Mark Zacchio at the Aug. 4 meeting. “That is why there are some extra dollars.”

The $20,000 from the council joins over $50,000 raised from a plethora of other organizations and private donors, including $25,000 from the town of Avon and Avon Public Schools and $5,000 from the Avon High School Booster Club, according to ACORN volunteer Laura Young.

Grants were also received from the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation ($10,000) and the Avon Education Foundation ($1,500).

“In response to the fact that limited financial resources are available, community stakeholders have been working together to figure out how to get the courts re-opened,” Young said. “It is unfortunate that one of the most visible educational and recreational facilities in town has been closed for the last several years.”

It has been four years since the tennis courts have seen any action. There are no nets in place. There is a lock on the gate. Jagged cracks and weeds run along the baseline.

“The AMS tennis courts have been closed for several years due to safety concerns related to age and weather-related deterioration,” Young said. “During the summer of 2009, I began working with [Avon High School PTO President] Wendy Howard and various community stakeholders to plan a way to re-open the courts for public use.”

ACORN received final approval for another $20,000 appropriation from the Board of Education on Aug. 10, coming from fees people have paid to use Avon school facilities. The organization is awaiting possible funding from one or two more major organizations to reach a goal of raising $125,000.

Fundraisers such as an Adult Mixed Doubles Social and a Kids Tournament were held at the Farmington Valley Racquet Club. According to Howard, these events raised both money for the project as we all awareness for the cause.

“[The courts] are widely used by the community,” Howard said. “We’d like to have a JV team, but we don’t have the space. Also, if the courts are brought back, we will be able to put tennis back in the physical education curriculum."

The courts never experienced any catastrophic disaster - just over 40 years of harsh New England winters. However, the maintenance of the courts, or lack thereof, amplified the cracks to the point of no return.

“There were normal cracks from countless New England winters,” Howard said. “The cracks were just never properly maintained.”

Donations are still being accepted and can be made by visiting www.amstennis.org.