St. James High School (Minn.) among 2021 Outstanding Facility Award winners

St. James High School in St. James, Minn., which serves just over 1,000 students, is one of 25 recipients of the USTA's annual Outstanding Facility Award this year. The school commissioned a complete restructuring of its eight outdoor tennis courts and spectator in the summer of 2020.

Located in a very diverse community and lower on the economic spectrum, the main goal for these courts was to provide the opportunity for kids to try, and hopefully, fall in love with, the sport of tennis. In addition to hosting the school teams, community instruction, camps, and tournaments are put on during the summer to help facilitate the growth of players in the area. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the facility was able to host safe and successful programming, and the courts host USTA-affiliated programming in adaptive tennis, Net Generation and social play.  

“Great tennis facilities like the St. James High School tennis courts help us to grow the game at the grassroots level, and we are proud to recognize them for their ongoing impact on the sport of tennis,” said Craig Morris, Chief Executive, Community Tennis, USTA.

“The St. James High School tennis courts have embraced many key tennis initiatives and kept the sport at the forefront of its community each year.”

This annual award recognizes excellence in the construction and/or renovation of tennis facilities in three categories: public courts, private facilities and educational institutions.

To be considered for an award, facilities must be under the jurisdiction of a parks and recreation department, an educational institution, a nonprofit corporation or be a private or commercially-owned-and-operated facility that offers both USTA and public programming designed to help grow tennis.

Facilities were judged on the following criteria: overall layout and adaptation to site; excellence of court surface and lights; ease of maintenance; accommodations for players, spectators and press/officials; aesthetics; graphics, including the use of signs and landscaping; amenities such as casual seating for spectators, food services and social areas; and the facilities’ participation in USTA programs.

All award-winners will receive a wall plaque and an all-weather sign which can be mounted at the facility. One winner will earn the prestigious “Featured Facility of the Year” designation and be honored as part of the USTA’s semi-annual meeting later this year. Click here for more information on the 2021 USTA Outstanding Facility Awards.