As a young resident of central Maine, I am appalled by the poor maintenance of the Augusta’s tennis courts. It is inexcusable for the capital city of Maine to have allowed the courts to deteriorate.
There are 13 tennis courts in Augusta. With the lack of maintenance, the total may literally erode to zero. Cony High School has three outdoor courts that have a plethora of cracks.
Many tennis players probably know about the six outdoor courts behind the Buker Center that have been a fixture in the city’s center for decades. These were “fixed” in 2017, but quickly, cracks began to appear, and then the orange cones, which were placed on said cracks because of safety concerns.
UMA’s four tennis courts, tucked away in the shadows of the Augusta Civic Center, were recently removed.
With the lack of quality playing surfaces, this forces players in the city to venture further out, putting a strain on other courts like the two Manchester courts and the three courts at Hall-Dale.
During pandemic times, tennis outside is one of the safest activities. If the city of Augusta wants to promote a healthy lifestyle, and not spend the money to the likes of relocating a police station that would cost millions, fixing the courts would be money well spent.
I am grateful that I and other tennis players can play indoors during the winter at ACOPI Tennis and Fitness Center. Once the summer and nice weather hits though, do not expect me or many others to head to the Augusta courts as the first place to play tennis.
Billy Noble
Sidney
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