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Tennis pro Lloyd Martin teaches student John Utley, who is 12, proper swing techniques during a recent practice at Bryan Park. There are three tennis sessions throughout the year at the park. (Jordyn Gershoni/The Oglethorpe Echo)
Tennis in Oglethorpe County is growing.
The addition of a third yearly tennis session, plans to resurface the courts, recent grants and a vision for tennis in schools have started to foster a tennis culture within the county.
Tennis hasn’t always occupied a prominent position in the county’s landscape. The courts at Bryan Park were built only eight years ago in 2015. Then, in 2022, two devoted tennis advocates, Ronnie Boggs and Lloyd Martin, started the Oglethorpe Recreation Department’s tennis program.
And despite the recent start, the uptick of program engagement is noticeable.
Registration for the Oglethorpe Rec Department tennis sessions has increased since 2022. There are 11 players in the adult class and two youth classes have a total of nine students.
The switch from two to three tennis sessions annually was created as a result of increased interest.
“I like to see so many people coming back out and keep trying the sport again and again, and I know that they have become fairly close as a group,” said Martin, the tennis pro.
The renovation of the courts, intended to create better playing conditions for more players, is a key development.
Partnerships with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the Clarke Oconee Tennis Association also have helped. The USTA has provided financial assistance, including a grant of $2,000 this year and $1,000 in 2022.
“What the United States Tennis Association is trying to do is grow tennis from the grassroots level, and your grassroots level is your parks and recreation areas,” said Boggs, who is the program and equipment coordinator.
Promoting engagement among all age groups is central to this strategy.
Kala McNair, the league coordinator for the Clarke Oconee Tennis Association and an Oglethorpe County native, is focused on expanding participation and increasing tennis awareness in the Athens area.
“I love seeing kids and adults excited about tennis,” she said. “I played tennis my whole life and I really think that it is a great lifelong sport. So, I am reaching out to the community.”
With the USTA grant money, Martin secured new equipment for those who just want to “try out the sport.” He attributes the program’s success to participants' continued involvement in tennis, as many have joined nearby leagues in Athens.
“One of our long-term goals is to establish scholastic programs,” Martin said. “We would like to be able to establish at least a high school program within the next few years and then possibly a middle school program, as well.”