Tennis team sports new facilities
Just in time for the second half of the collegiate tennis season, the Utah State University men’s and women’s tennis teams now have a brand new winter home.
Dec. 27 was the official grand opening of the Sports Academy & Racquet Club’s new tennis center, a 30,000-plus square foot indoor facility which will host Aggie home tennis matches when outdoor conditions don’t cooperate.
The construction of the new facility came after the previous facility – a.k.a. “the bubble” – collapsed under heavy snowfall in January of last year.
According to Sports Academy CEO Keith Larsen, the bubble was never intended to be a permanent Academy fixture and was eventually going to be replaced.
“We always knew the bubble wouldn’t last forever,” Larsen said. “We started the plans about six months before it went down.”
Larsen said the bubble, which was purchased back in the ’90s, was “difficult to heat and leaked a little.”
In celebration of the grand opening of the new facility, the academy brought in 1993 French Open doubles champion and tennis personality Luke Jensen for a day of clinics and tennis-related fun, which included a “beat Luke” competition. According to the academy’s tennis director and USU assistant tennis coach Ben Searle, the tennis center is among the best in the state.
“This facility is top level,” Searle said. “It’s probably the second-best in the state as far as collegiate tennis goes.”
USU Head Coach Christian Wright said he looks forward to the recruiting advantages of the new facility.
“We’ll see how it helps us down the road,” Wright said. “But I definitely feel it will be a nice recruiting tool.”
Wright added that for years, other schools in the state have had nicer facilities and now USU will be able to compete for top recruits.
The new facility houses four courts and includes a mezzanine area with bleachers for spectators. USU matches are free of charge to the general public and Wright especially encourages students to come out and support their men’s and women’s teams.
The USU men’s team plays its first home match against Northern Arizona Friday at 11a.m. in the tennis center. The Aggie women will first face Weber State Feb. 16 at 1 p.m.
The construction of the tennis center is only part of the changes taking place at the Sports Academy.
According to the general manager of the Sports Academy, Dan Smith, the main building will soon be undergoing some significant remodeling and rearranging.
The addition of an indoor track, “cardio theater,” abdominal area and a multi-purpose court (where the other two existing indoor tennis courts now sit), are all slated to begin “within the next couple weeks,” Smith said. A remodeling of the entrance to the club is also on the horizon.
Prices for a student membership at the Sports Academy can vary. Students can expect to pay at least $45 as a sign-up fee, with monthly dues at $44.95 for a one-year contract. A tennis membership is an another $10 per month with additional court fees required every time the students play.
Smith said the size of the club, the high quality of the facilities and the the numerous amenities offered – including everything from towel service to personal trainers – makes the Sports Academy stand out from other of the fitness clubs.
Larsen said he expects rates to increase slightly over time, as they normally do, but hopes the new facilities will lead to an increase in memberships and not to an increase in rates.
-jhislop@cc.usu.edu
Different Views of the interior of the new Sports Academy tennis center.
