New Tennis Courts on the Way

When you're playing doubles on Court Four at 's tennis courts, it's easy to tell when a ball is out.

It's liable to get wedged in a crevasse running the length of the court.

Cracks at least an inch wide are common, and several of the courts have 2- or 3-inch cracks along the playing surface, where weeds and grass have begun to sprout.

“It’s almost like Wimbledon out there,” West Deptford head coach Aaron Burr quipped, referring to the grass.

It won't be for much longer, though.

When residents voted to pass this year's budget, it ensured a ton of educational resources would remain available for students. It also gave the go-ahead for the new tennis courts, as well as new away bleachers in the football stadium and new uniforms for eight teams.

West Deptford Director of Facilities Myron Hall, who's been at that post for more than 25 years, said that the school is currently accepting bids on the projects and that he should have the final costs available within the next few weeks, when a bid is accepted.

“This is a project that will start soon and, barring any complications, will be done by the end of the summer,” said Hall.

A total of about half a million dollars was set aside for the two projects, with $140,000 earmarked for the visitors' bleachers, and the remainder going to rebuild the tennis courts.

The new courts were included in the proposed budget for the current school year, but when the budget was turned down by voters, it was one of the first items removed to make the numbers more workable for the residents of West Deptford.

Despite being cut from that budget, support for the project remained high, partially because during the offseason, as well as weekends, the courts are open to the public.

“There were people who supported it two years ago, and now the community supported it again,” Burr said. “It’s a win-win for us and the community.”

The new courts will be located at the same place the current courts reside, and the hope is they will be completed in time for the start of the girls' tennis season in the fall. To be cautious, it's likely the first few matches–or even the first half of the conference schedule–will be scheduled on the road.

The team will also need to find a new place to practice. While nothing is concrete, Burr mentioned Bethel Mill/Atkinson Park as an option.