Goal: Save the Garner Park Tennis Courts by The Friends of Racquet Sports
The purpose of the petition is to save the two tennis courts at Garner Park (333 Rosa Rd.) AND to help bring a dedicated pickleball facility to Madison. On April 19, the City of Madison approved a plan that will remove the two Garner tennis courts and convert them to six dedicated pickleball courts. The decision was made without consulting the GMTA, USTA, Tennis Industry Association, high school coaches, or area tennis teaching professionals. The project was backed by a group called Friends of Pickleball, which helped raise money to fund the project.
The Friends of Racquets Sports supports the creation of a dedicated pickleball facility, but we are against the zero sum approach that promotes pickleball at the cost of losing two tennis courts, especially two that have a natural windbreak and a partial divider. We also object to the manner in which the project was approved--quickly with no communication from the tennis community. The loss of those courts will hurt the sport of tennis in Madison. In 2015, there close to 2900 USTA league players in Madison. That is only a fraction of the total number of tennis players. The city needs more courts, not less.
We have asked the City to delay the project while alternatives are explored and so that the City can track how much the Garner courts are used this season, something it has not done. Surely, there is a feasible way to promote pickleball without removing the Garner courts.
If you agree, please join us in our effort by doing these four things.
- Sign this petition
- Like our Facebook page
- Make your voice heard by contacting the City Parks Department. The contact person is Kate Kane ([email protected]; 608-261-9671). Letters to local media organizations can also help.
- Spread the word about the issue.
Time is of the essence because the project has been approved for bidding.
Updates
May 4, 2016
Seeing this kind of momentum is exhausting but it proves that people are finally noticing how these courts were taken away behind our backs. We have a long road ahead to fix this mess but I am not walking away from our tennis community now.
Reached 100 supporters
May 4, 2016
49 Comments
I already sent a letter to the Parks Division as well. Let's get this done. If they have to do something add the PB lines on the Garner Park tennis court, but any attempt to reduce/remove tennis courts is a bad thing. They are at a premium already.
Pickleball courts can be set up on existing tennis courts as described on many websites. The USAPA has detailed diagrams on placing 2 or 4 pickleball courts on each tennis court. Pickleball and tennis +can+ coexist!
West Madison Special Olympics tennis team practices twice a week at Garner Park. The soft ball and bocci ball team also. The park is big enough, centrally located and it is easy to accommodate rides for all these disable athletics. The addition of pickleball courts would be nice for this park but definitely tennis courts should stay where they are.
Removing the Garner Park tennis courts for Pickleball is a zero sum approach. Get more people moving by adding, not subtracting, to the net total of racquet facilities available to them.
This is NOT a location where the courts don't get used much. And it is one of the very few outdoor tennis revues with good wind shielding quality. I agree with the point that this should not be a zero sum game, forstering pickleball at the cost of tennis. We don't have enough good facilities for tennis as is.
The West Madison Special Olympics Tennis team has used these courts for several years, in conjunction with our softball and bocce teams on the lower fields.
It's not fair to take our tennis courts away without consulting the people who use them first. Please hold off and proceed in a more democratic manner!
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Goal: Save the Garner Park Tennis Courts by The Friends of Racquet Sports
The purpose of the petition is to save the two tennis courts at Garner Park (333 Rosa Rd.) AND to help bring a dedicated pickleball facility to Madison. On April 19, the City of Madison approved a plan that will remove the two Garner tennis courts and convert them to six dedicated pickleball courts. The decision was made without consulting the GMTA, USTA, Tennis Industry Association, high school coaches, or area tennis teaching professionals. The project was backed by a group called Friends of Pickleball, which helped raise money to fund the project.
The Friends of Racquets Sports supports the creation of a dedicated pickleball facility, but we are against the zero sum approach that promotes pickleball at the cost of losing two tennis courts, especially two that have a natural windbreak and a partial divider. We also object to the manner in which the project was approved--quickly with no communication from the tennis community. The loss of those courts will hurt the sport of tennis in Madison. In 2015, there close to 2900 USTA league players in Madison. That is only a fraction of the total number of tennis players. The city needs more courts, not less.
We have asked the City to delay the project while alternatives are explored and so that the City can track how much the Garner courts are used this season, something it has not done. Surely, there is a feasible way to promote pickleball without removing the Garner courts.
If you agree, please join us in our effort by doing these four things.
- Sign this petition
- Like our Facebook page
- Make your voice heard by contacting the City Parks Department. The contact person is Kate Kane ([email protected]; 608-261-9671). Letters to local media organizations can also help.
- Spread the word about the issue.
Time is of the essence because the project has been approved for bidding.
Updates
May 4, 2016
Seeing this kind of momentum is exhausting but it proves that people are finally noticing how these courts were taken away behind our backs. We have a long road ahead to fix this mess but I am not walking away from our tennis community now.
Reached 100 supporters
May 4, 2016
49 Comments
I agree with this petition. To close the courts to tennis also affects the use of them by the special needs community for their tennis activities. It is surprising that this change was not brought to the attention of the community at large before being proposed, let alone approved.
I already sent a letter to the Parks Division as well. Let's get this done. If they have to do something add the PB lines on the Garner Park tennis court, but any attempt to reduce/remove tennis courts is a bad thing. They are at a premium already.
Pickleball courts can be set up on existing tennis courts as described on many websites. The USAPA has detailed diagrams on placing 2 or 4 pickleball courts on each tennis court. Pickleball and tennis +can+ coexist!
West Madison Special Olympics tennis team practices twice a week at Garner Park. The soft ball and bocci ball team also. The park is big enough, centrally located and it is easy to accommodate rides for all these disable athletics. The addition of pickleball courts would be nice for this park but definitely tennis courts should stay where they are.
Removing the Garner Park tennis courts for Pickleball is a zero sum approach. Get more people moving by adding, not subtracting, to the net total of racquet facilities available to them.
This is NOT a location where the courts don't get used much. And it is one of the very few outdoor tennis revues with good wind shielding quality. I agree with the point that this should not be a zero sum game, forstering pickleball at the cost of tennis. We don't have enough good facilities for tennis as is.
The West Madison Special Olympics Tennis team has used these courts for several years, in conjunction with our softball and bocce teams on the lower fields.
It's not fair to take our tennis courts away without consulting the people who use them first. Please hold off and proceed in a more democratic manner!
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I agree with this petition. To close the courts to tennis also affects the use of them by the special needs community for their tennis activities. It is surprising that this change was not brought to the attention of the community at large before being proposed, let alone approved.