Title: Wake Forest Area Tennis Association
Goal: To establish a more active tennis community by building more tennis courts and forming league teams. As the interest grows, the Wake Forest community hopes to initiate more programs such as the USTA leagues and the NJTL.
Project Size: 4 hard courts at the public park, 2 hard courts at the local high school, and 8 hard courts under construction at the new high school.
City Size: 786,500
Leader/Advocate Organization:
Length of Project: 4 years
Budget:
Funding Source: Corporate sponsorships and fundraising events
Wake Forest Area Tennis Association (WFATA)
Created in 2003 by 2 ladies seeking playing partners
Existing Tennis Program in 2003
Virtually none.
Town Parks & Rec Dept operated 1 beginner youth camp each summer
No adult leagues, lessons, socials or other programs
Facilities in 2003
4 hardcourts at public park (Flaherty Park) constructed in 2001
· Lights at stripped from the 2001 Flaherty project in budget crunch
4 hardcourts at high school (5 miles from public park) constructed in 2001
· New courts replaced 2 lighted courts previously at school
· Neighbors protested proposed lights, and they were left out of project
Hence, in 2001, the booming Town of Wake Forest had:
· 8 hardcourts (4 in public park, 4 at school) and 0 lighted courts.
· Town limits population 20,126 (nearly doubled from 5 years before), and far greater population living just outside Town limits.
· County population 786,500 growing at an estimated rate of 90 families perday, and 8,000 new students in school system each year (with Wake Forestbeing a primary market destination).
Establishing an Active CTA the WFATA Way
· Networking to identify area tennis players, volunteers, and Board members.
· Creating basic programs like local singles and doubles round-robin leagues.
· Intense recruiting and begging people to play using email and phone.
· Intent of first establishing a core group of loyal participants
· Creating custom local programs to get area players exposed to team tennis.
· As program grows, expand program options and introduce USTA leagues.
· Use adult registration fees to subsidize hiring pro to begin a youth program.
· As youth program becomes self-sufficient, initiate youth leagues (NJTL, etc)
· With facility capacity achieved, and CTA legitimacy proven, get political.
Taking the CTA to Another Level – Getting Political
1. Get the Parks & Recreation Director (or other officials) on our side.
From beginning, being good stewards of public facilities
We always asked permission from Parks & Rec to do anything, and were never argumentative (desiring a pleasant relationship). We reserved only courts required, trying to leave at least 1 free for public play to limit public complaints to P&R. We kept facilities clean, and paid for minor facility improvements. We maintained good communication with P&R even when they were at first skeptical of us, regularly reporting growth of program to P&R Director, and paying applicable court use fees.
Assuming the Posture of a Partner
We consistently conveyed the message that we saw ourselves as a partner to the Town Parks & Recreation objectives. We not only pointed out the prior lacking facility use versus the growing use under our programming, but also reviewed the P&R Master Plan and identified their adopted objectives for cooperating with the private sector. Pointing out that their Master Plan invited non-profit and for-profit organizations to assist in providing services they were ill-equipped or under-staffed to provide, we emphasized our expertise, willingness to partner, and our recent history of success and good stewardship. This was very effective, and maintained positive relations. Had it not worked, we held in our back pocket the ordinances that outlined how many public facilities were expected for current population statistics.
Understanding What the Competition is Getting
We understood that any requests we made would always be measured against agreements in place with other programs. So if we were seeking to reduce facility use fees, post sponsorship signs, etc. we went to the meeting fully aware of what other groups (soccer, softball, etc) were getting. If these groups were getting something more than us, we pointed out that we should be equal. If we were asking for something special or extra, we prepared a logical explanation of why our situation was different and deserving of an exception.
2. With a public ally on our side, we became more vocal and active politically.
Converting Good Standing into Legitimate Authority
Having established credibility with the Town officials and outlined our cooperative function, we sought a more official capacity. The Town offered us an official Joint-Use Agreement for public facilities. Our logo and information was now posted at the public courts, along with our website.
Becoming Members of the Town’s Recreation Advisory Board
Loyal players or Board members applied and became members of the Rec Advisory Board. There had never been tennis representation on this Board. Within one year we had 2 seats. Other tennis enthusiasts were encouraged to voice their opinions at these public Advisory Board meetings which were typically otherwise unattended (no one to argue).
Attending Every Town Meeting or Rec Dept Public Meeting
At every appropriate occasion someone from the tennis association would stand before the Town Council and bring facility concerns to their attention and on the record. At one public meeting the Rec Dept was reviewing objectives for it’s 5-year plan. Four members of our Tennis Board were the only attendants. Tennis was way down on their priority list, but became a top priority by the end of the meeting. When the Town bond referendum came up, we were actively involved, and expanding our tennis facility and lighting became a primary aspect of the project plan.
Following the Project All the Way Through
We attended multiple public meetings, making sure that no voices against any part of the tennis project went unchallenged. In the past, 1 or 2 neighbors expressing concern over lighting spill-over had been enough, when unchallenged, to have lighting stripped from a tennis project – even though it meant leaving the entire Town without weeknight tennis. This time, we were there to point out that nature trail activists had unlimited places to walk with or without public parks, but many had no place to play tennis during the day and especially at night. We constantly stressed that lighting had been stripped away from 2 prior tennis projects, and that it was essential to the new project. We offered our help, and were subsequently invited to have a major role in the architectural design and planning of the facility expansion, including submission of lighting specifications and countless other minor details non-tennis players would never have considered.
3. Other relationships developed in the community
Schools courted for extra courts
We made appointments to visit with athletic directors at the area high schools to explain our mission, highlight our contributions to their programs (pro assistance, equipment donations, and development of their incoming players), and point out our official capacity with the Town. Relationships were quickly established to allow us full use of the school facilities. We also work with high school coaches.
Area Clubs and Groups Urged to Associate
We have recently begun courting association with all area tennis clubs, YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, and similar groups. We have also initiated contact with area neighborhoods that have tennis courts, offering our organizational programming to help their residents make full use of these sparsely used facilities. Our legitimacy with the Town has been a crucial element in getting in the door with these groups.
Corporate Involvement
Having established a still small, but respectable growing program, we were in a position to seek corporate annual sponsorships for our program, and are currently planning major fundraising events.
4 YEARS FROM THE BEGINNING….
Facilities in 2007
8 hardcourts at public park (doubling the previous size of Flaherty Park facility). All new stadium-quality lighting (60ft candles) for all courts (best in county)
6 hardcourts at high school (2 recently added)
8 hardcourts at another high school (about 7 miles away)
8 hardcourts (all lighted) proposed for new high school (under construction). Tennis courts were once off the table, and lighting was not originally planned.