The sun is finally starting to make its appearance again. As winter comes to an end and spring sports start back up again, athletes are excited and ready to play, and I’m one of them. Except, it’s not that fun. Tennis has been my favorite sport since kindergarten, and I’ve trained, taken lessons and even joined summer camps. Never would I have thought that it would all go down the drain in high school. Let me explain.

Two years ago, when I was a freshman, I was so excited to play for the school team in the spring, even more excited knowing I was going to be on varsity since I was pretty good at the sport. As time passed and it eventually became the first week for spring sports, I was thrilled to go on the courts and see my coach and team. However, this was where everything went downhill. 

At first, I thought I was seeing things, but sadly, no. The courts had cracks EVERYWHERE. Grass and weeds were growing out of the pavement. The nets were uneven; some had holes in them. The clocks on the fences didn’t even work, and the courts were so sandy as if someone played beach volleyball on them. Don’t even get me started with the court colors. It was supposed to match the Tualatin High School colors, but it turned out horrible and disgusting. It was repulsive to even look at; I had no words. 

I felt embarrassed as other schools came over to play on our courts. The looks they have are similar to mine the first day I stepped onto these courts. 

Another piece of shocking news was our budget. Imagine not having enough money to have round-trip buses for away games. Not enough money for new tennis balls. Not enough money for jerseys for everyone. Some JV team members had to wear plain black shirts as we didn’t have enough jerseys. Freshman year was a mess; what’s crazy is that things have only slightly changed in the past two years. This year, with a new coach, we’ve made some advancements, such as getting new balls; fixing the courts is still in question. But that’s it. 

As captain of this year’s Tualatin boys’ tennis, I want to make sure everyone on the team has a fun and enjoyable tennis season. It’s unfortunate to have to play in these horrible conditions, but I hope it one day resolves and I don’t see any cracks on the courts anymore. Enjoying a sport should not be hindered by the physical conditions and surroundings, and I’ve never felt more unhappiness knowing that I’m going to have to leave Tualatin with a memory of trashy courts and financial difficulties in the sport that I love.