Facility Restoration Grant Spotlight: Clarke County, Va.

Tucked away in the Shenandoah Valley, minutes from the West Virginia border is Clarke County - population, 15,008.

In Clarke County, tennis has become a way to connect and create community especially after COVID -19. Residents, looking for a way to engage with other people while meeting health and fitness goals, found tennis. According to Recreation Program Coordinator of Clarke County Parks and Recreation, Tracy Pitcock, “people were gathering and thanking Parks and Rec” for the opportunity to play.

Clarke County Parks and Recreation offers six lighted courts at the John Rixey Moore Tennis Courts in Chet Hobert Park. Players from the surrounding community and West Virginia; the Clarke County High School tennis teams; the Shenandoah Valley Tennis Association; and a variety of youth and adult tennis programming all call these courts home.

With these six courts serving an eager tennis community, Pitcock recognized that the tennis courts meant a lot to the community. She was glad that Lisa Cooke, Director of Clarke County Parks and Recreation and the Park Advisory Board included the court maintenance in the five year Master Plans - ensuring the preservation of this valuable asset for years to come. Pitcock said that not having the courts around “would be like taking a gym away.”

Receiving support from the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, the Parks and Recreation department applied and received a $10,000 Facility Restoration Grant from USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation.

The USTA Mid-Atlantic Foundation’s Facility Restoration Grant offers funding up to $10,000 to support tennis court construction and refurbishment projects for public courts, especially those in parks, schools, and communities.

Using funding from a variety of sources including the Facility Restoration Grant and USTA’s Tennis Venue Services Grant, Clarke County started the renovations on May 26. The project was completed on June 30th and on July 12th, celebrated the grand reopening.

With renovations complete, Pitcock said “We will continue growing the game of tennis for children, teens, and adults.”

USTA Mid-Atlantic is committed to helping communities like Clarke County continue to grow tennis in the region. Through programs like the Facility Restoration Grant, tennis in the Mid-Atlantic will carry on for the next 100 Years.