How USTA Tennis Venue Services helped transform a public park into a recreational hub in Casper, Wyo.

For many years, our family lived just four blocks from Washington Park. It was an easy walk—down our tree-lined neighborhood streets and up the grassy hill to the courts. Both of our kids played their high school tennis matches there, and my husband and I spent countless hours on those courts ourselves: hitting with the kids, sneaking in a set together on our lunch hour, or joining our Sunday morning doubles group. Washington Park was woven into our daily life in other ways, too—watching our son play baseball on the adjacent field, walking our dogs through the park, and simply being part of the rhythm of a park that felt like an extension of home.

Washington Park has been the heart of tennis in Casper, Wyo., for nearly a century. Built in 1938 through the National Youth Administration, it was the place where generations learned to play, where community leagues thrived, and where Natrona County High School athletes carved out their competitive beginnings. The courts had been resurfaced in 2010 with help from USTA, but despite the City’s best efforts to keep up with the ever-expanding cracks, by 2021 the courts were once again in poor shape. Something had to be done.

The tipping point came after the opening of the 10-court Casper Tennis Complex. That project proved what was possible when the City of Casper and the Casper Community Tennis Foundation worked together. With that momentum, our attention shifted naturally to Washington Park. As we walked the site, it became clear that the question wasn’t whether to renovate—it was how bold we were willing to be.

With encouragement from parks expert Jodie Adams, and with the steady partnership of Todd Carlson (Senior Director of USTA Tennis Venue Services), along with City of Casper champion Zulima Lopez, we began exploring the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant. What started as a tennis-focused renovation quickly expanded into something much larger. The grant process pushed us to think beyond courts and nets. It challenged us to imagine Washington Park as a true “community hub”—multi-sport, multi-generational, and deeply connected to the city’s recreational and cultural identity.