Tennis players at Wilmington await the finish of the new tennis courts, ten of them, actually. This isn't a new idea either. This project started four years ago, in fact.

As in all enterprises, raising the money needed was key to the survival of the project. Thankfully, we received two grants, which “got the ball rolling”, according to Mike Wallace, Athletic Director at Wilmington High School.

“We knew we were going to do this when we had enough money from our capital campaign to make up the difference of the cost of the project between the two grants we received and the actual cost.” Wallace said.

The state of Ohio sent the city recreation department $185,000 in funds for the project, after that, a $50,000 grant from the United States Tennis Court Association came in. Those greatly cut the cost of the project for the school, down to about $100,000 for the capital campaign.

To some, ten courts may appear, at first, to be an obscene and extravagant waste of money. Mainly this is said because only five courts are needed for a tennis match. However, according to Wallace, having ten courts will be highly advantageous.

“We will have one of the premiere tennis court areas around, we can bring in large tournaments, it can help us have state tournaments here.”

Wallace is confident that the courts will not go unused, by the tennis team, or the public, and thinks that they will be used “everyday, probably 18 hours a day.”

“This is a good tennis community. At the park, in the evenings, you see a lot of people waiting to use courts because all four are being used.” Wallace said.

The tennis courts will indeed be open to the public, as it is actually a city project.

Wallace explained the situation.

“The school board had to donate the land to the city, so the city could receive the grant money. So, technically, it is a city parks project.”

“We just want as good as a facility as we can,” Wallace said.