Members of the new Bay Community Tennis Assn meet to plan a fund-raising drive for new courts for public use - (L/R) Greg Helmling, Joe Ricard, Dave Wilson of the Dow Bay Area Family Y, Pauline Helmling, student Brenda Konkle & George Lowe (USTA)

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Tennis Group Moves to Re-Energize Sport & Court Facilities

March 17, 2013
By: O. J. Cunningham

Bay City is a tennis town.

This tennis history is reflected by the aggregate group of inductees into the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame. Lynn Conway, Robert Learman, Paul Grein, Harold Holcomb, Bob Darbee and Mark Jaffe are just a few of the great tennis names already achieved Hall of Fame inductee status..

A group of tennis enthusiasts have come together as the Bay Community Tennis Association (BCTA)to attempt to continue and re-energize the tennis tradition in Bay County.

The BCTA says facilities are lacking and some are in need of repair or replacement.

The six (6) tennis courts at Vet's Park are in bad shape and getting worse every year.

Of the four(4) tennis courts at Carroll Park, only two are playable.

These ten (10) tennis courts are all owned and maintained by the City of Bay City . . . and according to Community Tennis Association (BCTA) spokesman, Greg Helming, there's no money available for upkeep.

"The tennis facilities in the City are deteriorated," Helmling said at a recent meeting of the group. "The facilities are no longer adequate for the needs of the community."

Mike Woody
Midland Community Tennis Center

George Lowe
U.S. Tennis Assn.

The BCTA group met recently at the Dow Bay Area Family Y and used the luncheon to call in a few experts to assist with the tennis-related problem.

Mike Woody, Executive Director of the Midland Community Tennis Center told the group that they "need a vision" and that they need to do some "research in terms of current tennis court inventory" as well as investigate the potential usage of existing courts as well as future court construction.

Woody speaks from a wealth of experience and was a driving force to get Midland, MI named the top tennis city in the country back in 2009.

George Lowe of the United States Tennis Association was also in attendance at the Dow BAFY luncheon. Lowe was fully supportive of the project and said the USTA would be ready to supply drawings and conceptual designs for any new project that the BCTA might move toward. Grants for community projects also are offered by the USTA.

KEY PLAYER
Dow Bay Area Family Y

Dave Wilson, Youth & Adult Sports Director at the Dow Bay Area Family Y (Bay City) also attended. Wilson and the staff at the Dow Y facility could be the key to keeping the ball rolling on the tennis court project.

Wilson said that the Dow Y facility could "take the lead" to set up tennis programs and to orchestrate a solid plan to provide classes, instructors and possibly competitive leagues within the framework of any tennis court rejuvenation project.

The BCTA group plans to contact Darwin Baranski, Parks Manager, Parks Department, City of Bay City to discuss the possibilities of upgrading and/or re-surfacing existing tennis courts at the Vet's Park or Carroll Park facilities.

The group is also exploring the possibility of raising funds for a new eight-court layout at a so-far undetermined location that would be available both for school and public play. ###