Tennis Officially Returns to Avon Middle School Courts

After years of fundraising, coordination and hard work, the newly restored and colorful tennis courts at Avon Middle School were officially dedicated Wednesday afternoon.

Town officials, tennis coaches, players and members of Avon Community Recreational Neighborhood Inc. (ACORN), which spearheaded a fundraising effort to restore the facility, gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony with speeches, food, music and, of course, some tennis.

For more than three years, ACORN led an effort to restore the courts.

“Personally, I am thrilled to see this fantastic recreational space open again,” said organization president Laura Young. “Although the courts are located at a public school, they are truly community courts. It's great to see them being used again.”

ACORN held numerous fundraisers over the past few years and the $151,000 fundraising campaign was bolstered by private donations, a United States Tennis Association Grant, matching appropriations from the Board of Education and Town Council as well as gifts from private foundations, such as the Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation and the Avon Education Foundation.  

“It really took a community effort to get them restored,” said Avon Middle School principal Marco Famiglietti.

Famiglietti said he is grateful to the numerous donors and appreciates all who pitched in what they could. Donations of $25 and $50 really add up, he said.

“It really put us over the top and gave us world-class tennis courts,” he said. 

After the town broke ground for the project in April, the Public Works Department managed the project and performed some of the work itself.

“This is just a great joint effort,” Town Manager Brandon Roberts said. “A lot of people put a lot of time into this . . . Now we have a great jewel in the town.”

Famiglietti said it’s been about six years since the courts have been playable.

The courts will allow the return of middle-school programs such as intramural, hopefully interscholastic and likely unified tennis, the principal added.

In addition, it will allow the high school to have additional courts for J.V development and practice, he added.

The public will get a lot of use out of them as well and the courts have already been busy since the work was completed about two weeks ago, Famiglietti said.

The courts even have additional lines for QuickStart programs, which allows the easy placement of four smaller horizontal nets.

“It allows kids under 10 to have a full-tennis experience,” Famiglietti said.

The work may not be complete. The Hoffman foundation has committed $25,000 toward getting lights for the facility and ACORN will continue that effort.

But after Young and Wendy Howard, vice president of ACORN cut the ribbon at the courts Wednesday, both were thankful to have arrived at the moment.

“I just never thought we would actually get to this day,” Howard said. “The town just did an awesome job. The community really pulled together.”